AVATAR: The First Bender Book 1: AIR
by Dusty Kenyon
Summary: This is the story of a time before the Avatar existed, when a comet comes one night and drasticaly changes both the world and 4 kid's destinies forever. Aang's journey was only the ending!
1. A NEW ERA

AVATAR: THE FIRST BENDER (This is the story of the era before the Avatar, when people had no problems and the 4 nations had not yet been made. Kids from all over the world however are changed on one night by a Comet passing through the sky and the planet is thrown into chaos and the destiny of the world is changed forever. There are assassins, threatening gangs, new deadly spirits, creepy creatures, cross cultural romances, and an epic adventure that destined Aang's journey long before it began.)

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AVATAR: THE FIRST BENDER

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 1**_

_**A NEW ERA**_

The world was new. There were many colonies scattered around the world, with many people in them governed by the spirits around them. Back then, the spirits took forms in the real world regularly. The only spirits to have officially assumed physical form were Tui and La, the Ocean and Moon spirits. Yet none had seen them since no one would dare go into the frigid northern tundra. No one but Mizu. Mizu was a girl of sixteen who lived in the tundra, inside of an igloo near the oasis where the spirits lived, the only place unaffected but the chilling winds of death. "Good morning spirits." She said, bowing low to them as she did every morning. "I am off to hunt for food now, please bless my hunt." And they did as they did every morning, though they knew that this was to be the beginning of a new life.

Kan Benda lived atop the Patola mountain range in the south. He lived there with his five friends, Aer, Long-hin, Bakiko, Jip, and Ran- fo. The six had left home so they could be alone from their parents and the rules that their villages imposed on them. "You look troubled, Kan." Aer said as she approached Kan. He was sitting on a ledge, staring out towards the rising sun.

"It's nothing, Aer." Kan replied. " I've just been thinking."

"You've been thinking for a while now. Why not give your brain a rest. I think you've used it too much." Aer sat down next to him as she laughed. Kan smirked and put his arm around her.

"Don't you ever wonder why?"

"Why what? Be specific."

"Why we exist?"

Aer glared at him for a moment. "I don't mean to act like a mother, but you need to get a better outlook if that's what you've been thinking about." Aer sat up and gave a somewhat worried look at him.

"I mean, there are the spirits and everything, but why were we made? Everyday I get up and feel…"

"Hungry?" Aer tried to finish. "You're not the only one that feels that way."

"No." Kan retorted. "But I do feel hungry too." His stomach growled in response. "No. Every morning I wake up and I feel this energy inside of me. Like a little flame. It feels great and filling but I don't know what it means." He grabbed his chest and looked down. He could feel it giving off energy. He could feel everything around him giving off energy.

"You done with the drama yet?" Aer said as she looked at him sympathetically. "Come on. I've got a nice breakfast planned." She hopped up and held out her hand for Kan. He took it and jumped to his feet.

"Did you finally find some meat?"

"Honestly, you and your meat." Aer said as she dropped his hand and rolled her eyes. " For someone so sensitive, you sure don't give a second thought to an animal's feelings."

"Well, would it hurt to have a winged lemur once and a while." Kan sniveled at Aer.

"Have a peach instead." Aer said as she plucked one out of her coat and handed it to Kan. This was the start of a new world.

To the East lay a large continent, overflowing with life. Kizu lived here with his family for many decades. They owned a small farm and a plot of land near the western coast of the continent. This morning he was tending the fields as the sun rose higher into the changing sky. "Kizu, time for lunch." His mother called to him.

"Coming mother." Kizu replied. He set his hoe down in the dirt and walked back to his house. As he walked, he noticed a strange disturbance in the western field. "What's going on there?" he mused to himself.

"Kizu, lunch!" his mother called one last time.

"One second, mom. Just gotta take care of something." He walked towards the reeds that were being jostled about. He pushed his way through the reeds and snuck up on the creature. It was a small, bewildered creature that looked like a cross between a dog, a mole, and anteater. It was odd that the beast had no actual eyes. "Aren't you a weird little fella." Kizu bent down to the creature and it lashed out with its tongue.

The tongue sliced at his skin and a sense of paralysis spread through his arm and down his right side. He felt it start to strengthen but it was too weak to overtake his whole body. He lay on the ground, unable to move his right side or either of his legs. The animal began to pace back and forth as if trying to make sense of what it had just accomplished. "Nasty little squirt!" Kizu remarked at it, trying to take a well aimed swing at the little monster. It was hit in the head, which forced it to issue a small whine like a defenseless baby. It pawed at its nose and tucked its tail between his legs. Kizu made to get up, but was not able to do more than get himself onto his good side. His arm muscles quivered as he struggled to support his upper body weight on one arm as the creature cringed in subtle defeat.

"Mom!" Kizu shouted out for help from the house near-by, still awaiting one more diner. "Gagh!" he called out to his brother who should have been coming in from the opposite fields by now. He was not heard. He fell to the ground, his muscles contracting from the strain. He turned to the creature which now decided to avoid Kizu's gaze and silently pad off through the reeds. "I should have at least gotten something to eat first." Kizu mused to his empty, growling mass of stomach. And as he suffered from paralysis, the world began to turn, welcoming its destiny at the start of a new era.

Mizu sat in wait on the polar ice caps. She saw some fish darting past but was more interested in bigger game. "Please, just one leopard seal." Mizu begged the spirits. And her prayer was answered. A large seal floated past on its stomach, unaware of the predator hiding behind the ice. "Thank you." Mizu lept out and killed her dinner. She dragged the corpse to her canoe and picked up her paddle, rowing back to the mainland.

"I should divide this up to save food for the later days." Mizu mused to herself as she began thinking ahead to the long weeks of winter ahead. "If I can eat only 1/5 of it now, I can save the other fifths for later, until the seals become more populous during winter. But, If there are more tomorrow than I can eat ½ of this seal tonight and have a feast the rest of the week." She put down her paddle and looked at the tasty meal tied behind her. She titled her head to get a better look at the meaty underbelly. All that food enticing her. She shook her head with a sigh. "No. Best to just go with the flow and save food like you have been."

She picked up her paddle again and turned to the icy waters. She gasped when she noticed the current ahead. Without knowing it, she had drifted into a fast moving current, throwing her towards a large shelf of ice. She dug her paddle into the surf and threw her arms into trying to steer clear of the dangerous bergs. She was thrown further into the maze of blocks and began to use her paddle to push herself away from on coming ice instead of paddling. She was finally spun around where two currents met, loosing her grip on the paddle.

"Crap!" she cried as she made to grab the paddle before it was lost to the sea. She failed. "Spirits, hear me! Save me. Spare me and my life is in debt to you!" They did not hear her cries for assistance. None but two koi fish swimming in a small pool of water. The ice seemed to part and give way to her canoe. "Thank you!" Mizu covered her head in praise and was silent.

Fate was less kind however. Two loose bergs slipped from the pack and drove into the back of Mizu's canoe, crushing it and slicing open her catch. She turned in horror to see the chilly water creeping into her canoe, pulling her into the icy depths. The canoe did not fully sink, however. He meal was borne on the waves and carried back out to see, leaving a trail of blood in the water. Mizu sat shivering in the small remnants of her canoe, not yet fully submerged, the icy water covering her entire body.

"Spirits, please help me! Please." Mizu cried. She would not dare leave the canoe for fear of faster hypothermia or worse, predators. Night was coming and she sat shivering, trying to hold back tears that would surly freeze her. Tui and La were helpless here. Fate had taken its course. Today had been destined to change the world and ring in a new era. All of these teens were gifted in many ways and would shape how the world was made, down to the last city. This was the start of a new everything.


	2. THE COMET

Book 1: AIR

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**Chapter 2**_

_**THE COMET**_

Kan sat around the campfire with his friends, quietly guzzling down the mash-up of berries and fruits Aer had forced upon her friends. Kan was the only one who opposed this. Long-hin plopped down beside Kan with his bowl, speaking through a mouth of food, "You know, I think Aer is getting better a cooking."

"What makes you think that?" Kan asked as he looked disgustingly at the slosh in his bowl.

"Well, she is capable of every meal tasting like breakfeast, lunch, and dinner." Long-hin gave a small chuckle. "Mainly because she can only make the same thing. There's nothing else to eat up here."

"You can say that again." Jip said as she looked over at the two with a small smile stratched across her face. Jip was a small girl, the youngest of the group. She was 14, had black hair and grey eyes and wearing a shawl over he yellow gown.

"There's nothing else to eat up here." Long-hin retorted. He was the second oldest at 16. Kan was the oldest at 18. Long-hin was thin but well built with a small tuft of hair on his head. He wore over swatches of fabric over his clothes and had a small chain with a large crystal around one shoulder. Long-hin gave another laugh and held out his bowl to Kan. Kan gladly dumped the contents into the bowl and took up chewing on a piece of straw near-by.

"At least give it a try." Jip said as she finished gulping down some of the soupy stuff.

"Yea! What not give it a try?" Aer said as she came up behind the three with a small wooden bowl tucked under one arm.

"Cause it's the same as every day." Kan remarked as he handed over his empty bowl to her. She gave a small sigh and looked down at the small squashy remains of what had been previously in the bowl.

"You could at least give me some encouragement." Aer said softly as she got up to see to the rest of her friends.

"We'll make sure to remember that next time." Long-hin shouted after her. He finished what Kan had dumped in his bowl and gave a loud belch. "That hit the spot."

"Of course it did." Jip said as she put her empty bowl aside. She gazed towards the sky and gave a small aww.

"What is it?" Kan asked as he felt the pangs of energy returning.

"It's beautiful." Jip said as she pointed towards the sky. Illuminated against the moon and stars were two large things gliding through the air in graceful arcs and low swoops.

"They are beautiful." Aer said as she too stared up at the beasts in their air borne ballet. "And you want to kill that?" Aer remarked towards Kan, who had since turned his eyes away from the display.

"Meat is more filling than veggies, I'll say that." Kan stated as he got up.

"Where are you going?" Aer asked as she made to go after him.

"I'm going for a small walk." Kan said over his shoulder at her. She let out a small sigh and a small shake of her head.

"What's going on with him?" Long-hin asked. "Something up?"

"I don't know." Aer said as she turned to Jip and Long-hin. "He's probably just going through a withdrawal after leaving home."

"We all left home, and our troubles with it." Long-hin replied. "Probably just trying to walk off the empty stomach.

"Maybe it is just the food." Aer said as she gave a quick glance over to the pot with some small remnants at the bottom of it. She turned back to Long-hin and Jip, who was still fixated on the beasts which were now moving faster in the air, shifting back in froth, creating a light breeze to those at the top of the mountain.

"Wonder what it would be like to do that." Jip said as she lay back on the ground to relax her neck from the strain of craning. Aer gave one last look at them and noticed their retreat into the oddly warm night. Something was different about tonight.

"That's odd." Aer said as she felt the small breeze from the creatures die away. "Does the sky look brighter or is it just me?" Jip turned her head to Aer and then back at the sky. The night was growing brighter, almost to a pleasant pink as if the early light of morning was arriving prematurely. Then, they noticed something growing brighter out of the corner of her eye.

"What's that?" Jip said as she finally sat bolt upright and the air began to shake at the small light grew, and the pinkish sky with it.

"Anyone else feel that?" Long-hin said as he clutched his arm.

"Feel what?" Aer said as the earth began to shake as well, as if destiny was driving this one phenomenon to shake the earth to its core.

"Like…everything is suddenly alive or something." Long-hin finished as he looked up at the light, which was now so far down in the atmosphere that it was clear to make out.

Kizu had been lying in the reeds for a while now. He could hear the attempts made by his family to find him, all of which were in vain since his mouth had long since fallen to the monster's tongue. He sat there contemplating what to do with some feeling beginning to seep back into his limbs. "If I could just be able to stand up, I may be able to be noticed." He thought to himself. He struggled with whatever feeling he had in his bones, but got so far as nowhere. "At least it's a beautiful night." Kizu mused in his head.

As far as he knew, there was no kind of wild animal like that monster around to bother him and the pests were not plaguing the fields today. The stars were dull but visible. He regained some more feeling in his left leg. He did nothing about it, since he could still not support the other parts which wished to remain in blissful numbness. "That star is especially bright tonight." Kizu said in his head as one star began to shimmer more brightly in the night, dimming all other competition in the night. The sky was beginning to change as well.

He regained control of both legs.

The sky was now almost a bright pink in the sky and a warm breeze was beginning to fill the night. Everywhere around him had heard the frightful (or was it understanding?) padding of animals. He heard squawks and braying from his farm animals and even more wild calls from the woods a ways away.

He regained a feeling in his chest and left arms.

It was like a giant wave of heat hit him all at once. He felt the tips of the reeds start to bend and the grass beneath him felt more alive to Kizu now than anything. What was oddest about this feeling was as if they were trying to communicate with him, wishing that he would but use them.

He regained his right arm.

The earth was shaking more now than it had ever done before. Kizu leapt up at his first chance, finding it almost painful to withdraw himself from the earth which was almost like a bottle to him now. It was filling him in a way that felt good to his soul. It was almost giving its energy to erase the paralysis from Kizu's body. He felt the ground shake and he stumbled a bit at finally being able to walk. In the red light from the sky, he saw his family standing still in the fields, gazing with opened mouths at the weird light descending from heaven. Kizu turned and looked up at the bright sky and opened his mouth.

"It's a fireball." Kizu mumbled, regaining his voice. "It's a…comet!"

Mizu had been in the water for sometime now. The tips of her fingers and toes were almost frozen. She was trying to paddle what remnants remained of her canoe back to the main land, and hopefully make it to the oasis before finally succumbing. "How much longer can it take?" Mizu said as she rested her arm and tried to warm it by sticking it under her fleeces. It was of no use. She was shivering all over, and with no food to even give her energy. She gazed in pity as she saw the bank of the land begin to run from her as a small wind pushed her further to the side. She noticed something different about the water. Something was lurking beneath her. She glared deeper into the depths and saw a large shape twisting underneath the water, looking like an eel with a fin and two tendrils on its chin. The blood of the seal had caused this monster to appear.

"Oh, no!" Mizu said as she quickly began paddling again. A wave pushed her further to her destination, at the price of it being caused by the Unagi's head breaking the surface. It let out a shriek as it dove at Mizu and missed, splashing her in foam and water and blasting her into the water. She abandoned her broken canoe and made a desperate swim for the shore. It followed. I made to take her from beneath, but the water had changed and the Unagi sunk deeper into the depths to avoid destiny. Mizu swam fiercely through the warm pink water and reached land. She stopped and partially ran to the oasis, hoping the uncommon ground might help her recover from her chilling death. She grabbed her blanket and threw off layers of wet parkas and fleeces, leaving her in her under armor, which was so wet it would not come off. She laid down by the fish and wrapped the blanket close to her.

As she sat shivering, the earth began to quake. "Oh spirits!" she cried through shivering teeth. "Why is today such a cursed day upon me? Spirits, help me to get better." She gave a large shake and fell to the grass beside the fish. Their water was pink and as smooth a glass, but that was not the most noticeable difference.

The fish had altered their normal course of continuous circling and were no rapidly swimming in a figure eight. The ying and yang had been broken as the earth began trembling harder and ice began to chip and crack off the glaciers around the oasis. Mizu shivered more and her hand dipped into the cold water of the pool. The freezing instantly went away. She felt a warmth slip into her and warm her from with in as the chill flowed out of her. She took a few breaths and opened her eyes.

The sky was consumed in red and the comet was speeding overhead in a blaze of utmost glory.

Kan began his walk down the small foot path at the end of their camp atop the mountain. He turned towards the sky to see the creatures still in their dance. He saw their retreat towards another mountain top where similar beasts were swarming towards. "Odd how they just stop." Kan said as he looked down at his feet. He placed his right hand over his heart as he began his short walk to a small garden Jip and Aer had planted.

He could feel it pulsing with untapped energy. "Why am I so sensitive?" Kan asked as he withdrew his hands and knelt down by a cabbage. He poked at the leaves out of shear boredom and sat back with one arm resting on his knee. He noticed a change in the air as the breeze disappeared and the sky began to grow more pinkish. "What's this?" He turned to the sky and saw a small winged lemur sitting on a rock. Food. He bent into a crouch and began to crawl forward. He was almost there when the earth began to tremble. The lemur perked up and gliding on the air downwards. Kan stopped for a second before looking again to the sky. He saw a bright light descending from the heavens towards the earth. What he also felt was every pang of emotion he had ever felt enhance and the air around him began to buzz. He clutched his heart as a sudden attack was made on it.

It had picked up speed and felt as if every bit of energy in the world was being sucked into his body and now free flowing through him.

"What's…happening to…me?" Kan said as he felt the energy build.

Plants began to bend towards him and leaves stood upright. Cabbages unfurled and displayed their leaves for Kan to bend. As the air grew red and the earth shook tremendously, the energy built, driving Kan to his knees.

The comet pulsed through the air, growing closer and more intense to the rippling world beneath it.

Kan clutched at his chest, hoping to somehow grasp some of the intensity and release it. He gave one last shout and stood up, throwing his arms out and widening his stance.

All of the energy rushed out and a giant wall of energy expelled itself through the air, picking up rocks and dirt. It froze water in the air and it fell and tumbled through the air a small icicles. Miniature tornados formed in the air as the energy ripped at its fabric. Fire seemed to manifest itself in the air and on the ground, sending ropes of dancing flames gracefully into the air.

This one ripple spread across the whole world, causing air, water, earth, and fire as well as every living and non-living thing to bend and contort themselves.

Destiny and the ripple of fate was made when Kan became the first bender.


	3. THE FIRST DAY

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 3:**_

_**THE FIRST DAY**_

The sun rose more brightly upon the new day following. Kizu was looking out at his fields. "This is such a mess." His brother said as he stood at the doorway with Kizu. The crops had been twisted and flattened by a weird force that swooped through the air last night. Rocks were split in two and many had been crushed to a fine powder. Soil was congealed in large clumps and rolling between the crops. Even their house now had larger doors and windows when some of the wood blasted off the framework.

"Don't even get me started on how many animals we need to find." Kizu added. The pen had long since been busted in the surge and animals were running rampant through the woods and fields.

"Then don't start just yet." His brother said as he reached for a hoe by the door post and set off towards the fields.

"Which one will you be taking then?" Kizu shouted.

"I'm getting the animals, you work with this useless wheat!" his brother shouted back as he headed off a small koalasheep. Kizu picked up another hoe and set off to the nearest crop of wheat.

The wheat was so mangled that it was almost impossible to make out that these had once even been food, nevertheless plants. Kizu uprooted one and tossed it to the side. But something had happened to the wheat. It now lay normal on the dirt, as if someone had reaped it at its very roots. "So, is this some kind of trick?" Kizu asked as het ruend to another wheat barley. He grabbed it and made to throw it but he felt it. It was as if something was flowing out of him and bending the wheat back into its proper position. As if the wheat could sense what Kizu wanted to do. He turned and waved a hand past another barley. It too straightened to peak condition. Kizu gave a look at his hand and then the other. He threw both out in a wide arc and, like a ripple, all the wheat followed suit.

He laughed a bit. "Some night." He walked forward and stepped on a ball of oil. He took his foot up and saw the ball unaffected. He clenched his fist over it and then quickly unfurled it. The soil did a small jump and, with a soft explosion effect, it broke apart and spread itself on the ground beneath the crops. "A very weird night."

Mizu woke under her blanket at around mid-day. She sat up and wiped her face of the sweat. She was completely fine from the night before when the Unagi attacked. She turned to the pool she was lying next to and saw the koi fish back in their normal circular rotation. "Everything's normal." Mizu sighed as she got up and checked her fleeces. They were still in a soaked pile in the middle of her igloo. She bent down on her mat and began to lay them out. "This is going to take forever to dry." She said.

She put her boots out into the wind and slipped into her moccasins and slipped her blanket around her shoulders. She walked out of the oasis gate and towards the shore line, where sea life was oddly teeming. Seals were harping their blubbery masses as large elephant koi jumped out of the water in large arcs and gracefully fell back to the water beneath them. She sat on the edge of the ice with her feet crossed underneath her. She had black hair with vivid blue eyes. She was tall for her age and had a strong chin. The under armor and blanket only helped her curves. As she gazed around at the wildlife suddenly springing to life around her, she felt something else enter the mix. More energy seemed to surround this normal day than any day before. She touched her toe to the water and it fell away. She looked down to see an impression in the water as if something was blowing a fast wind to it. She leaned further over the edge and gently lowered herself into the receding water. She stood on dry ground as every trace of water rose up to trap her in a well. She stuck a hand out to touch it and felt energy flow from her hand into it.

The water opened for her hand and ice began to freeze around it. Mizu, frightened for her hand, withdrew it, causing the bubble to spin into the water and from a small bubble of pure ice. "What the…?" Mizu said as she backed up to another side of the water. She felt it cave in on her and she thrust a hand out to stop it. A large blast of something (was it energy?) burst forth and sent a loud boom through the air. The water crested above her and lowered its levels. The currents all whipped towards the well and circled around it, dragging everything in the water to form a colorful circle around it.

She giggled at the array of fish and beast around her and started to walk towards them, parting the ocean as she did. She gave out another large laugh and began to run through the path, the beasts being driven behind and beside her. She ran into a print, the earth rising beneath her with each step as if it wanted to join in the demonstration. She stood above the water now, looking out at the pale sky and vivid water. She thrust her hands into the water, sending energy into it and causing it to churn. She thrust her hands out of the water and into the sky, causing it to erupt upwards, with rings of fire spinning in the center of the funnel.

"What is that?" a fisherman asked as he and his crew looked of the side of their boat. With the new life in the reef, they had thought to venture further to see what catch could be made. They gaped in awe at the sea funnel, with fire dancing in rings inside of it.

"I think it's a girl?" one shouted as the funnel dropped, showing Mizu laughing and dancing on her own little island. Earth pillars rose from the ground to the time of her beats and water droplets rose out of the water to from almost miniature stars around her.

"I think she's doing that." The captain said as he turned back towards the main land. "I think she's bending it!"

Kan lay in the garden on his back, prone to the destiny of the world. He gave a small gurgle and got to his feet. He looked around at the once pristine garden and the now almost disfigured remains after the first outburst. "What did I do?" Kan asked as he sat on his knees at the foot of the cabbage patch. He heard something coming and turned quickly. The garden righted itself in this one motion. Aer appeared with Jip beside her.

"Good, you're okay." Aer said as she walked over to Kan and hugged him. "You never came back, you had us worried."

"I don't even remember last night." Kan said as he pushed Aer off her and turned his attention to Jip. "What did happen, everything seems different now."

"Everything _is_ different after that comet came last night." Jip stated. "We've all felt something when it came. It felt as if everything in the world wanted to be heard by us. To be manipulated. Like energy was everywhere, waiting to be used. It felt almost natural."

"And then there was that giant blast that hit." Aer said as she flattened her hair.

"What blast?" Kan asked as he stood up and looked down at her.

"There was this loud boom and the earth shook again, but, everything changed." Aer replied as she looked up at Kan and then drifted over to her garden. "At least it didn't affect this." She lazily flopped her hand towards her garden, which looked oddly off compared to the almost disastrous setting.

"I'm sorry, Aer. I…" Kan tried to apologize as he suddenly caught sight of the now fixed garden. "But I thought…" Kan pointed a finger into the garden and three carrots sprouted in reply. He was shocked, as were the two girls behind him. He snapped his fingers and the earth rose up around the garden, protecting it.

"What's going on?" Jip asked as she stared from Kan to Aer and then at the wall that had rose up.

"Kan, what happened last night?" Aer asked as she stepped closer to him.

"I'm not really sure myself." Kan said as he turned his hands over, examining to see if there was some trick going on.

"That!" Aer said as she too thrust her hands at the wall. A jet of fire came out and blasted the earth out of the way. She stopped and gawked at the phenomenon as well.

"Hold on a second." Kan said as he stepped forward and focused on a rock. He lifted his hand and the rock followed suit. He pushed his hand back and the rock split into equal parts. There was a line of rocks slices in a neat line, leading directly to Kan's hand. His breath began to quicken as he saw what was going on. He clenched his fist and the rocks shuddered and exploded. The dirt particles hovered in the air in an even more solid line. Kan began to move his hand to the left and make circular motion with it. Aer and Jip moved back as the dirt began to spin around Kan in a funnel. He drew both arms in and released them outwards. The dirt congealed and formed a beam out of Kan's hands, the resulting line looked more like a series of explosions.

Kan let his hands fall and the dirt fell back to the ground, forming back into the same solid rock as it went. He turned to his friends, both of whom, along with him, were in too much shock to speak.

Kizu had fixed the every plot in ten minutes with the help of this new power he had found. He sat at the table with his food, waiting for his brother to come home from his previously thought easy task. He walked in a couple minutes later, a vivid expression of both amazement and fear on his face. "What did you do?" his brother asked as he let the hoe drop to the ground. He looked around to make sure all the attendants had left and he pulled a stalk of wheat out of his back pocket. He crushed it in his hands and slammed it on the table and slid up in a chair.

"Show me." His brother pleaded as he pounded it down again.

"It was nothing really. I just…" Kizu gave a small glance at his brother's twisted face and waved a hand over the wheat. Each tiny grain levitated into the air and pun around the wheat, realigning with the stalk and a small sliver of water flowed back to the dry stalk, causing it to return to its previous state with an unusually different aura. "There." Kizu said as he picked it up and held it in the palm of his hand. The wheat lifted into the air, twirling and rotating in the air. His brother's face was now one of utmost fear.

"They were right!" he breathed as he backed up. "I'll leave you alone or whatever you want, just don't hurt me!" He threw his arms over his head and tripped over a chair.

"What are you talking about? I won't hurt you. It might only work on crops and soil anyway." He threw the wheat onto the table where it stood on end. "Now, what was that you said about someone being right?"

"The people in town. I went there to get feed for the animals and I heard them." His brother breathed as his face grew lucid but his eyes were shaking. "Some attendants said they saw you do…that." He pointed a long finger at the stalk lying on point on the table. "They said they saw you waving your hands and making fists and…that everything bent when you motioned. Kizu…they're terrifying people."

"Well, at least people know now. I knew it wouldn't stay secret for long." Kizu sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Besides I doubt they'll try anything now that they are scared of me."

"I saw him! He was dancing in the fields!"

"He was possessed by some spirit. They want to wipe us out."

"He's trying to poison our food."

"He'll kill us."

"Yeah, it was miles into the sky."

"The water wouldn't touch her!"

"She must have an army up there."

"She's possessing the sea life. She must be stopped."

"The blast came from the mountain."

"Those kids went up there some years ago. They want to cause strife among us and kill us!"  
"I knew they were no good." What will we do about them? They will surely kill us."

"Someone needs to do something."

All of these concerns fell upon one man and his army. One man with a quest for peace through whatever means necessary.

"We must stop these…benders!"


	4. GENERAL ZHONG

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 4**__**:**_

_**GENERAL ZHONG**_

The ships were packed with supplies as the men set out to war. A make shift desk had been made with a set of maps on it. A man in his late forties was peering over it. He was well built with black hair and white streaks through it. He wore golden armor with green and blue tinted in it. His helmet sat on its side on the desk along with his cloak wrapped in a sort of blob. He had a sort of tendency to scratch the scar across his lower chin from a Canyon Crawler incident. "I suggest we attack at the left front first," Zhong said as his captain came up to him. "We won't be able to get up that mountain by any means, especially with this amount of men."

"Than how shall we go about taking those heathens off the mountain?" his captain asked as he gave a small bow of the head. Zhong again scratched his chin and turned to the ships.

"Double stock on explosives and rope. We may need it." Zhong shouted to a hand as he was walking to the ship with a large crate of blasting jelly in his arms.

"We'll blast our way up into the mountains?" the captain asked as he raised an eyebrow to the plan.

"No. We'll force their move." Zhong said as he rolled up his map and scratched his chin again. "I will take the mountain men, you and another patrol will take to the north and get that girl."

"And the boy at the farm?" the captain asked as he put his helmet on. "Is he not a major threat to us?"

"He is, but I already have him under control." Zhong shouted over his shoulder as he boarded his ship. Zhong made a soft nod to a crate. The captain stared at it but there was nothing special about it. Some dockhands moved the crate away, revealing the real threat to Kizu. A troop of men were packing gear and ammunition onto a pack of eel hounds.

"We really are going to kill these monsters!" the captain shouted to Zhong when he realized the hard reality.

"There be no one under this sky that can be that powerful and live."

* * *

"I'm just saying it's weird." Long-hin complained as he brushed his hair and it changed from a dark brown to a light grey. He gave a small squeak and touched it again, causing it to turn back to brown.

"We all think it's weird." Bakiko said as he folded his arms under his armpits. He was a short boy of 15 and had jet black hair. He had some muscle on him but was nevertheless scrawny for his age. Ran-fo was his brother, who looked almost like hi, albeit being 14 and having brown hair.

"Maybe it is just some passing fluke." Jip optimistically sated as she gave a small shake and put a smile on her face. It was met with disdain by all.

"Now you know how I felt." Kan said as he gave a hard look at all of them. "How I felt having all this energy inside, having it all come to me without my consent."

"Kan! We know, you've felt this your entire life, but please try and be hopeful to this situation." Aer pleaded as she got up from the group. "We don't even know what life is like off this mountain."

"Yeah, cause I'm sure that whole comet thing was only to help us who forgot the memo on what to do with this…bending." Long-hin remarked as he rolled his eyes. Aer shot him a look.

"I'm merely saying that this could in fact be normal." Aer said.

"Normal? How can making things move on their own normal?" Bakiko said with his usual pessimistic attitude.

"Yeah, maybe." Jip said in opposition to him.

"Little sugar puff." Bakiko shot at her as he laid back and threw a hand up, causing a wave of water to go whizzing through the air.

"Guys, let's keep the arguments to a minimum please." Aer said as she turned to the two kids.

"Yeah, listen to mommy for once." Long-hin quipped. Kan sat on his rock, looking at the events unfolding. He laid his head on his arms and tucked his knees up.

Something's coming.

Kan perked up and looked around.

They're coming for you.

Kan looked around and placed a palm to the rock. It was telling him something. "Guys, I think we've got something." Kan said as she shut his eyes. His friends quit their fighting and turned to Kan. Jip gave a squeak and bit her lip.

"They may be friendly Kan." Jip said as she released her lip.

"You can feel it too?" Kan asked as he stared at her. She gave a small nod. Kan tilted his head a bit. Strange how much in touch with the world she is.

Oww!

The earth had cried out as a small puff of smoke wafted up from some trees miles bellow. "I don't think they're friendly, Jip." He felt another vibration and he turned to Jip. Her eyes were wide and scarred.

"What is it?" Aer asked as she ran to Kan.

"I'm not sure, but something's getting closer." Kan said as he wrapped a protective arm around her. Jip got up and walked to the edge of the cliff with Bakiko. Long-hin and Ran-fo sat on the ground. Kan sat, trying with all his might to see further than his eyes would allow.

The blast almost knocked them sky high.

Aer stumbled and colappesed to the ground. Long-hin and Ran-fo were pushed further to the edge, Long-hin rolling off onto a small ledge. Kan leapt up and fell to the make shift stairs to another level behind him. They splinter under him and he saw part of their encampment break away and crumble to the mists bellow. Jip was nowhere to be found.

"Jip!" Bakiko cried as he got to his feet, shoving small trees and pebbles off of himself. He ran to where Jip had been last, second only to Kan.

"I see her!" Kan said as he pointed a finger to a figure getting to her shaky feet bellow. Kan jumped down to her, breaking his fall with some energy support beneath him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine I think." Jip said as he began to check her bodies for any cuts or bruises. That's when the hooks shot into the sky. They clipped at rocks and ledges, most falling off of the unstable mountain. Kan held Jip close to him as he thrust a fist forward. A rock wedge jettisoned out of the mountain and went to the depths bellow. He threw a fist beneath him and a rock ledge pushed him upwards, energy stabilizing him in flight and allowing him to safely reach the top as another blast shook the mountain, destroying the perch Kan and Jip had just been on.

"We've gotta get out of here!" Long-hin shouted as he got to his feet.

"And where are we going to go?" Bakiko asked as he helped his brother to his feet. "They'll probably have surrounded the mountains by now."

"There is our secret path." Aer said as she hurtled towards her garden with a large sack. "Get your things!"

"What are you doing?" Jip asked as she ran after Aer and Kan shoved Bakiko aside to reach his sleeping area. He had nothing of real importance to him but his one dagger. He threw it onto his belt and rolled up his sleeping bag. He looked over as Long-hin stowed away his cross-bow and Bakiko and Ran-fo distributed the weight of their food and sleeping supplies along with their clothes. The mountain shook again as Aer and Jip reappeared at the top of the slope that led to the garden. She fell to her feet but quickly got up and ran to her mat and blanket and threw them on her back. Jip was holding the bag full of food and was quickly packing up her things, giving a long look at the photo of her family before slipping it into her pocket.

The mountain shook again and Long-hin tumbled downwards. He caught himself on some rubble and clambered back to the top. "It's time to leave." Aer said as she hugged Jip and began to the bushes that hid a steep slope which led to a cavern which wound its way down to a small pond at the base of the mountain.

The mountain shook again.

"We won't make it out that way!" Bakiko shouted as he stumbled and he heard more rubble fall.

"He's right." Kan said. "There's no way out or away from whoever is attacking us."

"Then we are dead!" Jip sighed. Her face was beginning to drown in tears. Aer gave her another hug and whispered encouragement in her ears. Kan looked down. Aer's eyes wandered to the south.

"We can follow them." Aer said with determination and straightened her pack on her back. She paced back and forth as the explosions continued, she was making movements and going through paces. She finally gave a huge breath and closed her eyes. She backed up and ran at full speed to the edge of the mountain, her arms doing weird movements beside her. She jumped and was lost from view.

* * *

Kizu was woken abruptly in the middle of the night. He woke to see his brother sitting by his side with a lantern in his hand, shining on Kizu's pale face. A knapsack was by his side and a worried face cried silent tears in the semi darkness. "You have to go." His brother said as he held out the knapsack to him and whipped the sheets off of Kizu's mat.

"What? Why?" Kizu got up and rummaged for his clothes which his brother was frantically throwing to him.

"They are coming. The attendants gave me the message a few minutes ago."

"Who is coming?" Kizu threw on his clothes and accepted the blankets his brother had rolled for him. "Tirji, what is going on? Why is everyone acting differently to me?"

"Because you're different." Tirji hugged his brother and began to cry. "I have a friend over at Gang Hi. Find him and live with him secretly for a while. I have sent a hawk along to tell him."

"Tirji, I…" Kizu started to saw before he heard horrible howling in the night.

"I will try to stall them as long as I can." Metal was heard clanking around as heavy thuds were heard outside. Tirji opened the shutters and let the moonlight into the room. "Go through those fields and into the woods. Don't stop until you make it to Gang Hi. Blend in and don't stand out!"

"What's happening?" Kizu said as tears of terror flowed down his face as thunderous pounding was heard on the door. His father was heard getting up in the night to answer. Whoever it was wasn't going to wait long. Wood was heard splintering from where the door once was. Tirji threw his brother out the window and handed him some money to put in his pocket.

"I'm sorry, Kizu. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you as I should have." Tirji said as tears streamed down his face and loud shouts were heard from somewhere in the house and furniture was over turned. "Be strong and be safe. May the spirits guide you." They hugged a last time, Kizu too chocked with tears to say anything to his brother. Tirji leaned out and, with a final somber look at his brother, shut the shutters.

Kizu's legs felt like they would give out any moment. He turned and made some short steps into the fields. There was a loud boom as his bedroom door was kicked in. "Where is he!" a loud and chilling voice screamed. Kizu quickened his pace. He heard more slamming and broke into a sprint. "To the hounds, he's loose!" the voice said again. A wail like a shrieking banshee rang out into the silent night, striking so much fear into Kizu that he screamed and broke into a bigger sprint. More were heard and suddenly, the fields around him were rippling as large beasts ran through them, much faster than Kizu could. He kept on running, tears pouring out of his eyes and soaking the ground beneath him. He made it to the woods, where he was met with more frightful shrieks and large shapes darted into his path.

"He's here somewhere!" a small wheezy voice cried in an almost whisper. Kizu wanted to be invisible. He wanted to disappear or bend something to free himself from this nightmare. It didn't work as he had planned. The trees bent into odd shapes, batting his persuers off course and giving him a clear path to where he was headed. He sprinted through this lane, hearing and seeing these large beasts scouring the area from the terrified boy. He finally touched stone and ran out of breath. He did not stop running though.

He ran into a gutter of Gang Hi and slumped to the ground, pulling out his blanket to shield himself from whatever may come looking for him in the murky night. He cried himself to sleep, lost and afraid in a world which had just turned against him.

* * *

Zhong stood at the bottom of the mountain, giving out signals to activate the explosives. "General, what exactly are we to do?" one of his subordinates asked. "We threw the ropes up and are setting off explosions as you wish, but I doubt we'll have enough to destroy this entire mountain. The troops are ready."

"We won't need troops until they come down." Zhong said as he motioned fro another blast. He scratched his chin and raised his binoculars to the sky. He could see the kids panicking like little specks beneath his feet. "Not clear enough to see where they are going."

"But, we are a good deal up, sir." The private answered. "We could easily try to make a path to get up there if you will give us time."

"Negative." Zhong said as he scratched his chin yet again. "The mountain was steep enough just to get this far. No, those kids were left alone for many reasons but the biggest was that noone can get to them. And if we can't get to them, they can't get to us. So how did they get up there?"

"I'm not too sure sir."

"Well, they'll tell us, won't they?" Zhong gave a selfish chuckle and peered up again as he signaled another blast. "They'll panic and run to their secret exit like the little kids they are."

"And what if they don't?"

Zhong shot a look to kill at the private.

"I wouldn't worry about that if I were you! You are just supposed to be surrounding this mountain and watching fro if anyone leaves." The private wet himself and went back to his patrol. Zhong snickered and turned back to the mountain. He saw her. Aer had jumped. "What! They wouldn't dare." Aer fell a couple of feet and then, she leveled out.

She was flying without any help. Just like a sky bison. Her arms moving in weird rhythm to keep the energy flowing. The he saw more do it as well. They were flying to freedom. "I don't believe it!" Zhong dropped his binoculars as he stared at the phenomenon before him. They glided behind a mountain and were gone.

"What shall we do, general?" the private asked as he stared at where the kids had flown past.

"We'll chase them is what we'll do!" Zhong smashed his binoculars beneath his foot and stormed off to his tent. "That other boy had better have been dealt with."

"Actually, we just got a message about that."

"And what about him?"

"He's gone. They think his brother warned him and sent him off. He could be anywhere." Zhong stopped in his tracks. He ground his teeth and threw a hand into his hair. He stomped the ground and flew into his tent.

"We leave to get that boy then! We will take care of these monsters! Starting with that brute's family. We will show them that they can run, but we will find them and end them. These…benders will not inhabit this world so long as I am on it!"

The troops began to pack up that night. The only question on their minds were: "Where will they go with nowhere to hide?"


	5. THE NORTHERN RAIDERS

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 5:**_

_**THE NORTHERN RAIDERS**_

Mizu threw back on her fleeces and parka and knelt at the edge of the small pool where the koi fish took up their circular routine. She tossed the blanket aside and lay on her back, staring into the endless blue sky with white blotches floating peacefully through it. "This is the life." Mizu said as she rolled over to her side, facing away from the pool. "It's only sad that my parents aren't here." She sat up and reached into her shirt. She withdrew a small strand of hair with a large white and blue bead at the end. She stared down at it as the memories flooded back to her.

She could remember a spirit of sorts when she was young. It was faceless and looked like a large centipede with grotesque legs. She remembered her mother's face, dark and beautiful. She remembered her father with his black hair and dreadlocks and a small beard that hung low to his chest. She remembered walking and running on a solid piece of real earth, not the ice caps that had frozen tightly together. And after that she couldn't remember much more other than being in this winter wasteland. What had happened to her parents? Who was that spirit that she could recall so clearly? She tucked the beaded hair back into her shirt and got up. "I'm going for a walk." She said to the spirits. "Make this day one of remembrance." She didn't even need to ask them for that. The remembrance was just a couple of miles off shore, waiting among the boats filled with soldiers.

* * *

The captain grew anxious as they made their way through the ice field surrounding the north pole. Oars dug into the freezing water and men heaved to drive their boats forward. A last check was made on ammunitions and the men were prepped on what they may see when trying to take out, what was in essence, a little girl. "Zhong must be off the deep end." The captain mused as he stood at the tiller, a small piece of cloth between his hands. "They are only children in spirit. Maybe we could have just asked them to stop or to surrender and be captured."

"I don't see why you are so phased by this, Captain." one of the first mates replied as he helped the Captain's hand turn the tiller slightly to the right. "They are powerful beings no matter what. They must be stopped, by whatever means necessary."

"But he sent _assassins _after the boy! Assassins!" The Captain stood up in both anger and terror. "The poor child won't even know what happened."

"And that's how I'm sure he would have wanted to go anyway." The first mate pushed the Captain back into his seat. "Now please, Zhong is not a man to cross in the ways of peace. He will do anything to get it and doesn't care who gets squashed in the way of it. It is best to do our duty now and take out this girl that was seen water bending up here."

Mizu walked up towards a ridge where the air was frigid. She put a hand in front of her and the air vanished. It was as if she was walking along a normal beach or pathway on the mainland. She jumped and threw her arms out and around her. The ice vanished and whipped itself into a tall column in front of her and toppled forward, making a bridge for her to cross. "The spirits have defiantly smiled on me." Mizu said with a small smile upon her face. She may have no idea as to what happened to her before, but this gift was meant for her, she could tell. She had a small hop in her step as she crossed her small bridge. This was only broken when the bridge shattered beneath her, the unfortunate victim of a catapult on a boat very close to the shore.

Mizu fell a couple of feet. She threw her arms out and tucked her legs up. Air surrounded her and lowered her gently to the ground. She looked up to see some men knocking arrows. She covered her face and gave a small kick, causing snow to from a dome around her and then freeze into ice, successfully protecting her from the barrage. She let it drop and earth propelled her skyward as she flipped back up to the ledge she had previously been on. Another catapult let loose and shattered some ice above her. She gave a scream and dodged to the left, fire coming out of her hands and causing the ice to melt.

She ducked into a passage way and narrowly missed another arrow aimed at her life. She kept running until she could see the gate to the oasis ahead. Past the other gate and off shore another group of boats waited. She gave a defeated cry and watched in horror as her once peaceful hideaway as set upon. Men were running with long spears in front of them, men with swords behind them. Flaming pieces of cloth fell in the oasis and scorched the grass surrounding the calm pool of water, the koi fish none the wiser as to what was happening around them. "Get out of my haven!" Mizu shouted as she sprinted through the gate and thrust her arms out. A large blast of energy sucked itself towards her body and then flew out, pushing anything in its path away. Men tumbled over each other and the boulders were stopped in midair, hanging there as if on an invisible wire. Some ships in the water rocked and one capsized.

The Captain was in utter amazement as to what had just happened. "Sir…" one of his men said timidly. "What are we up against?"

"I'm not sure." The Captain responded in the same amount of fear in his voice. "Still, Zhong would propose we set upon her from all sides, drive her out." And that was exactly what they did.

* * *

Mizu ran to her igloo, a small space with everything she had made in her stay at the northern wastes. She knelt down as she heard more catapults aim for her. "Spirits, I know that my life was forged by your hands. As an act of mercy, let me live. Let this day fade from my mind and let my life resume. You gave me this power to use and single me out. You wanted me to have this gift for a reason. You sent that comet to this earth for a reason. You wanted the world to feel what power it has. Now, as one whom you have singled out as special, let me have victory. Let me live." No one heard her. Fate was master here, the spirits could not interfere if they had even wished to.

Mizu got up and paced around her igloo. She heard more shouts of men and catapults fling their fiery or rocky death to her home. "Why is this so difficult for me?" Mizu asked herself as she grabbed her head. "All my life I've been alone save those two fish who do nothing but swim in an endless circle. Maybe I've put too much faith in the spirits. Maybe…it's time for me to shape my own destiny." Mizu stood straight and grabbed her things. "I'm sorry." She put the pack over her back and made sure her fleeces and parka were securely on.

She ran outside and began running down the slopes towards the shore. Her eyes widened when she saw the ships shifting to cut her off. The only way was to retreat into the blizzards further in the north pole and risk hypothermia and death. No. This was her first test. She held her breath and crouched. She heard men run behind her and saw more out of the corners of her eyes. She gave a laugh and, as the energy was sucked into her from all things around her, she burst forward in a forceful pulse.

She was gliding over the water, not one drop of it daring to touch her. She went faster and the energy pulses became more powerful, sending her flying even faster through the blockade. "She's…she's…"

"What?" the Captain asked. "What is she doing now?"

"She's gliding over the water. It's parting for her, she's not even touching it!"

"Where is she heading?"

"She's…heading straight for us!"

Mizu has completely lost thought of where to go; only that she had to go somewhere else. In this haste, she had miscalculated her course. She was now heading straight towards the largest ship of the croup, the Captain's. "Oh no!" She leaned back and twirled her hands around her body and thrust forward, pushing her arms out.

She stopped for a moment as she thrust out, but was soon gliding along again.

The wood had bent to her will and now formed a perfect hole through the hull of the ship. It rocked dangerously in the water as Mizu passed through. She rocketed out of the back and was gone in a flash of fire as it spiraled back toward the ship. It sliced the large vessel in half and the ends tipped into the sea. All of the crew tumbled into the icy water as another ship raced to pick up the abandoned crew. The Captain climbed aboard first as another sailor wrapped a blanket around him.

"Where should we go sir? Follow her?"

"No, she's long gone by now." The Captain stared off to where Mizu had vanished. "It is probably best if we just meet back up with Zhong and see how his expedition went. He'll have a strategy on what to do." They turned to their tillers and made for the shore, trying to avoid the icebergs that had decided to enter upon to fleet.

Mizu was whizzing along above the water, speeding towards a continent that had suddenly appeared. She made one last giant pulse towards it and then sunk into the water that had yet to touch her body. She sunk downwards into the depths and began swimming towards the surface, energy rocketing her out and into the air. She made to stop herself and the ground beneath her smoothed as she landed. "So, this is where I will stay." Mizu said as she got up to her feet and looked around, the sea behind her and a large landscape blocked by rigid cliffs. She walked to one that overhung a ledge beneath it. She hung a blanket down in front of it and began to set her things down. "Don't think I should get too cozy with those people out there." Mizu looked out of the blanket towards the north pole. "Still, I'm on my own now. Time to start my own life."


	6. THE SKY BISON

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 6:**_

_**THE SKY BISON**_

Aer jumped. She threw her arms rapidly into the motions she had previously gone over she leveled out. She felt the air catch beneath her and send her flying, even though it was not as controlled as she had hoped it would be. The bison seemed to have perfected the art in spite of their massive bulk, why was it hard for her. She threw her head back to check on the others. She motioned for them to follow but they looked hesitant. She closed her eyes and twirled her arms faster. She kicked out her legs and did what could only be briefly described as a sort of somersault in the air. He friends jumped and were caught upon her air currents, the energy working harder to keep them aloft. "Don't worry. I'll handle this," Aer called back to them as she took off towards a nearby mountain. "I think I have a good idea on where to go."

"I hope you do, air head." Long-hin called to her as he looked unsure as to how to act when being carried by the wind. Jip leveled herself out and watched Aer's motions carefully. She began to move them, slowly at first, in the same manner. The air strengthened and the group flew swiftly towards the mountain Aer was attempting to steer them towards. They barely made it to a cliff on the edge of it. Aer and Jip could not maintain proper height just by using their hands.

"That was a workout." Jip said as she clutched a hand to her shoulder. An had already moved over to Aer and was awkwardly massaging her shoulder blades for her.

"Quite." Aer replied as she shied away from Kan. "I think if we had some sort of device to help us control the air currents properly it would be easier."

"Because we can do that." Bakiko said as he looked around to find his brother.

"Maybe. You never know." Jip told him. Bakiko stopped to glare at her and walked off with a snivel.

"So, where are we?" Kan asked Aer as he stared at the familiar mountain top.

"I think you would know." Aer said as she ushered Jip away from the edge and towards a small hollow in the mountain.

"Why should I know?" Kan asked.

"Yeah, he just sits around all day." Long-hin replied. "Not much up there but stupid emotions."

"Shut up." Kan shouted to him.

"I'm just saying that we all saw them." Aer responded. "This is where the bison were."

"Oh, so we went from the soldiers to the beasts. Great, I'll go get some spikes for Kan's bar-b-que." Aer gave him a look. Kan, surprisingly, had a smirk on his face.

"I'm sure Kan can control himself enough." Aer spoke on Kan's behalf. "Besides, I'll make sure he doesn't do anything to them. Now, I think they should be higher up this mountain."

The men were ready and packed for leave. Word had not yet come in on the case of the girl in the north and the boy still had to be located. Zhong would leave the assassins to their jobs and would focus more energy on the band of kids that had just flown out of his grip. "I want this entire squadron down this mountain in three minutes or you can all kiss your knees good bye." The men increased in speed. Zhong's cloak was wrapped tightly around himself, hiding his dusky armor. A private ran up to him.

"Sir, if you don't mind, I believe that we should just meet up with the fleet down by the water. It's only a few hours journey and with more reinforcements we can surly drive those kids back."

"No." Zhong said coldly to the private. "The reinforcements will march to us. I am changing our strategy." Zhong walked on, scratching the scar on his chin as he went. "I want to surround every mountain due east of here. If you have any sign of them, do not surround that mountain. I want to attack from the sides, not from bellow."

"As you wish, general." The private said as he gave a small bow and walked away. He looked back at the men. He heaved a sigh at the amount of walking he would have to do and looked to the sky. He saw something move above him. "He grabbed his telescope and held it to one eye. There were people on that mountain. "General, I think we got them."

Aer was the leader of the group as they walked along the pathways that led to the top. They were wide from the large pedestrians before them and had many rocks in them for the group to trip over. "How much further to the beast's lair?" Bakiko asked.

"I don't know." Aer said. "I've never actually been on this mountain before," she finished dryly.

"Do you think they'll accept us?" Jip asked as she held Aer's hand.

"I hope so. They can't possibly be hostile."

"Or they could and we'll be ripped to shreds." Long-hin said as he got a slight grin on his face. Kan elbowed him in the stomach. "Oh, so mister recluse actually wants to keep little Jip's hopes up."

"I just don't want you and your dumb jokes right now." Kan said dryly.

"Aww, come on. You're a softy under all that defense. Admit it." Long-hin put a hand on Kan's shoulder. Kan brushed it off. Aer gave a caring look back at Kan. Their eyes met and Kan gave a small shrug. Aer smiled faintly and kept walking. They reached the top of the pathway and their mouths dropped. There were a series of rocks caves with open sides. Large and distorted stone pillars, formed by years of erosion, held up platforms of earth and housed the bison. They were massive. Many were up due to the commotion on the opposite mountain and troops of small little calves were running about, the smallest of which was up to Kan's chin.

A mother bison saw the party first. She sent out a large growl and the others turned to the intruders. Large males lumbered over with surprising speed and ground their teeth. "I had hoped you were joking." Bakiko shot into Long-hin's ear as he pushed his little brother behind him.

"Well, never take back a joke I always say." Long-hin chuckled in the face of danger.

"I'll take care of this." Kan whispered as a burst of flame appeared in his hand, summoned by the energy within him. Aer shot out a hand and caught him.

"Don't provoke them." Aer hissed at him. Kan shunned her off and created more, preparing to fire on them. Before he could though, Aer had moved in front of him, fumbling with her bag of food. She reached in and took out an apple. She bowed and held the apple out in front of her as an offering to the bison. The males stopped and their faces contorted into amazement. They looked at each other. The alpha-male than stepped forward and approached Aer. She looked up to see it getting ever closer. Kan, unable to sit there and see the best get closer to Aer, but his hands back up, causing the earth to shake a little and water form on his hands.

The bison back up and Aer shot Kan a look. Kan backed down again and the creature stepped up to Aer's outstretched hands. It sniffed the apple and looked it over. It sniffed again.

It took the apple in his mouth and ate it. It then licked Aer, causing her to fall backwards. It nuzzled her and gave a lour roar. The others loosened and the calves went back to their games. The alpha stayed around the group as they got comfortable with the pack.

"That was a gutsy move." Kan whispered in Aer's ear as Jip went off to play with the calves. "How did you know an apple would protect you?"

"I didn't." Aer replied as she patted the alpha. "It just seemed that was what would happen." It nuzzled her and turned back to the pack.

"Well, at least they're friendly." Jip piped in as she chased a large calf around Aer and Kan. Aer laughed and waved as Jip and the calf were off again. Kan remained indifferent. Aer frowned at him and put his arm around her.

"I know you aren't used to letting people in, but why not start now?" Aer looked at Kan who avoided her gaze. They heard a whistling sound and a rocket spared into view. Its read tail illuminated the colony and a loud roar rose up from the bison. The alpha lunged forward and spun around. It slammed its tail down and a large gust of air flew into the rocket and sent it backwards into another mountain. More whistling was heard and more rockets shot up from the other side.

"Oh come on!" Long-hin complained. "Didn't we just do this?" Kan grabbed Aer and threw her to the side as two more bison swatted the rockets away.

"I think it's time to move again." Kan said over the sound of more whistling.

"I agree." Aer said as she watched the bison's tails. "Make sure Jip is okay. I'll make sure the others are set for travel. Try and find a safe way to fly out of here." She took off, grabbing the sack of food off the ground and running to Bakiko. Kan looked around and saw Jip huddled with the bison calves in a large group, the mother bison trying to protect their young. Kan pushed his way through the bunch and picked Jip up. He put her forcefully under one arm and made his way to the edge of the encampment.

Zhong made eye contact with him. He and his army were less than a mile down on the other mountain adjacent. There was still a considerable gap between them yet they could still make out each other's face. Zhong thrust a hand up and the rockets went straight towards them. He ran backwards with Jip jostling under his arm. The rockets exploded and some columns collapsed. "Are we ready?" Kan said as Jip struggled free. Bakiko and Ran-fo were surprisingly calm and Long-hin had the usual smirk on his face.

"Ready when your girlfriend gets back." Long0hin said as he nodded towards the left. Kan turned to see Aer create a wall of air, sending the next volley of rockets back. He arms were doing circular motions and her concentration was fixed on defense.

"I'll get her!" Kan said dryly in the face of this danger. He thrust Jip towards the group and ran towards Aer. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm helping them out." Aer said as she made another motion towards a rocket and a current of air swatted it back.

"Why not just do this?" Kan did a jumping punch and a rock ledge popped out behind the stations and rocks pelted the soldiers. "It's actually much easier."

"Stop it!" Aer cried as she spun around and created an air shield for them as another rocket bounced away from them. "Fighting is not always the best answer."

"But running away is?" Kan asked as he hurried Aer towards the rest of the party.

"Notice that these bison aren't attacking violently?" Aer asked as she threw her arms on Kan's shoulders and gestured to the bison who only prevented the rockets from doing damage. "I know you don't care much for anything, but please honor my way of doing things." Kan shrugged her off.

"And where are we supposed to go?" Kan asked as they walked back over to the group.

"Wherever there is little to no fire."

"Than I suppose we will be going that way." Long-hin said as he pointed a finger to a small ridge that was left open.

"Than follow me." Aer said as she turned to Jip.

"Like last time?" Jip said with a small frown on her face. She got up from where she had sat down and walked to Aer's side. Aer threw an arm around her in a sisterly manner and nodded. They threw their arms out and began the paces again. They sprinted hard to the ridge and jumped, supporting the others as they also jumped behind her.

The flight was easy enough. They heard a groan from the alpha-bison as they departed. Their way out was right between two cliff ledges. Aer motioned to it and Jip followed her command. They steered towards it.

"They are getting away again, sir." One of Zhong's men said. "Are we going to go after them again?"

"No. They're running ends now." Zhong said as he bent down and picked up a spear. He tied a green cloth to it and waved it in the air. Up on the cliffs, his men responded.

"You had another plan?"

"Of course." Zhong said as he lifted a hand to his scared chin. "Kids go wherever there isn't any trouble."

The men raised a large, almost invisible net between the cliffs, where the kids were heading straight for.

Jip saw it. "Aer! They have a net!" In her panic she stopped her movements and gazed down. If they kept going they would be ensnared. If they stopped completely they would plummet to their doom. Retreat was not an option with the rockets still attacking.

Aer was panicking. She felt Jip's support die and saw the net raised in front of her. She closed her eyes and gave a small cry. She was swept up from behind and felt herself fall back onto something. She was jettisoned towards the net, which gave was easily. She felt the fur beneath her but it still had not registered what had happened.

The alpha-bison had flown in at the last moment and caught the group. It flew straight through the net, which the soldiers could not hold against the bison's weight. They were soaring again, off into the night. Zhong let out a loud roar when he saw them slip through his fingers again. He raged around the ranks, cursing and kicking rockets as he went back to his tent.

"Thank you." Aer said as she hugged the beast's head. It groaned in reply and flew away from the mountain ranges, towards some islands due north. They were safe, but for how long?


	7. THE CITY OF GANG HI

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 7:**_

_**THE CITY OF GANG HI**_

Zhong paced back and forth across the line of suspects. It had been a week since the mountain children had fled on their bison friend. The fields behind him were burning and the house being torn apart looking for a secret hiding place. "You are all traitors to this global institution that we have." Zhong spoke to the people.

"What global organization?" an old man of 60 asked. He had a small grey beard and baggy eyes. He had his hands tied behind his back along with his wife. They stodd side by side, the wife clearly shorter than him and their other son taller than both. He stood tall with black hair and long fingers. He had a solid look on his face.

"The army that takes all problems into consideration." Zhong retorted, rounding on the man. " I know these are _peaceful_ times, but nothing will ever stop unease from spreading in this world. We are here to clean up whatever messes we may find. We are in the middle of an epidemic in which people are able to become demi-gods. You had a son who was spotted doing these heathen actions. Where has he gone?"

"I honestly do not know." The old man said. "We woke in the middle of the night to answer the door and these assassins were there. They barged in and turned our house over once before. Our son, Kizu, was not found. I don't know what happened to him."

Zhong stepped back and scratched his chin. "I believe you are right. You don't know where he went." The man sighed in relief. "But I think he does." Zhong turned to the brother, Tirji. Zhong snapped his fingers and men tackled him to the ground. "Now, boy, tell me. Where is your brother?"

* * *

Kizu walked out of the house and walked calmly into the market near the edge of town. He gave a fearful look to the woods as always and continued to the nearest food stall. He purchased the supplies he needed and walked back to the house with nothing out of the ordinary happening. At least not on purpose. The stones seemed to jump where he walked and water began to ripple without a wind or quake to shake them. Flames grew in height and trees seemed to bend slightly.

"Just keep walking, Kizu." He said to himself. "It's nothing." He got to the house and walked in. He shut the door and walked towards the kitchen, where Sergid's mother was preparing for dinner.

"Ah, good you've got them." She said in her slightly hoarse voice. "Just put them on the table dear and you can go off to your own things." He placed the basket of goods on the table and stole away. He went out to the garden and sat on a wooden bench. It rose beneath him and he quickly jumped off. It flexed itself again and returned to its solid state. Kizu looked to the ground and saw the grass bend towards him in request. He felt the air whip towards him as if begging.

"Please, leave me alone." Kizu pleaded with the elements. "My brother is probably in trouble for letting me go. He told me not to get in trouble." They did not care for Tirji's sacrifice. Kizu ran back inside and fell on his mat. He sat there until dinner was ready. He ate in silence as always. It was awkward being in his brother's firend's house. He did not know him nor the area. He finished his meal and went to bed as always. He did not go to school or work. He merely existed as a leech to the house.

"I'm all for taking in your friend's brother as they work out their issues, but there must be some purpose of his." Sergid's mother said as she made sure Kizu was not listening.

"I don't know." Sergid responded as he stared at his mother. "He only told me something was up at home and that he was sending his little brother to us for a while."

"And it has been a week." His mother shot back. "The boy is doing nothing but living here with nothing to contribute. Whatever is up at home must surely be over by now."

"I don't know." Sergid shouted at his mother. "I don't want that little imp here any more than you do, but Tirji is my friend and I want you to honor his wish."

"Fine!" His mother leaned off the table and crossed her arms. "But he goes to work tomorrow for sure or else he can make his living in the gutter like the other worthless people of Gang Hi."

Kizu heard all of this.

* * *

"What is our next move?" the Captain asked as he knelt before Zhong's feet.

"I suggest we get those assassins back into our sights and make sure they are on the utmost alert for anything funny." Zhong replied as he scratched his chin. "What we must do is go after that water girl. The northern wilderness of this land is very easy to hide in. The mountain kids have a giant bison with them now. We can find them easily."

"As you wish." The Captain as he raised his head to Zhong. Zhong walked past, kicking up dirt in the Captain's face.

"I want the ships ready to go when I get back."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm taking care of a prisoner of ours." Zhong gave a cruel smile back at the Cpatain and walked on towards Tirji. He grabbed his around the shoulders and thrust him to the ground. "One last time. Where is your brother?"

"I'll never tell you." Tirji shouted from his knees. Zhong placed his foot on Tirji's head and thrust him into the dirt.

"Let's try again." Zhong snickered as he scratched his chin.

"Try as hard as you want. I won't talk." Tirji managed through the dirt in his mouth.

"Oh. Trying to make up for the accident with your sister?" Tirji stopped squirming and remained still. "I know all about that mishap. Now, if you don't want Kizu to end up like her, you're going to tell me where he is."

"That's an oxymoron." Tirji whispered. "They'll both be the same."

"Than why prolong the inevitable?" Zhong crouched near to Tirji's ear. A wicked smile crossed his face. "Where is he?"

* * *

Kizu walked down the street, kicking a small pebble as he went. He kicked it and it got bigger. He stopped and picked another pebble. It too grew into a large rock. He finally abandoned the fun of kicking a pebble and just walked down the road, his hands in his pockets. He saw a wind chime, hanging lifeless in a doorway. He looked around him to see if anyone was around. "Once can't hurt." Kizu said to himself as he took out his right hand. He double checked and then had twirled his finger. The whindchime sprung into action, sounding a glorious note and spinning in a dazzling display of colors. He chuckled to himself and put his hand back into his pocket. He started to walk but he heard something.

It was a small laugh. He turned to see a small child in the window, giggling at the wind chime. He looked at the child and then around again. He resolved himself to that it was something to do. He lifted some water into the air with his hand and caused it to form droplets in the shape of a smiley face. The child's face lit up in excitement. He then morphed it into a small globe and caused color to go shooting through it.

Rainbows spun in circles and flashes of light made patterns of beauty in the globe. The child let out a shriek of joy and clapped her hands. Kizu gave a laugh and looked to a small shrub. He bent it into a person and began to form clothes for it from the air. They were transparent but still implied clothes.

The chilled awed. "You like that?" Kizu asked as he looked to the child. She nodded her head and smiled. He erased the shrubbery person and began to weave together a rope of air, water, wood, and earth for the girl. He made to give it to her, but it floated out of his hands. She made grasping motions for the necklace and it willingly floated into her fingers.

She had bent the energy.

Kizu's mouth dropped at the sight of this. "So, you understand me?" The girl looked with awe at her new toy and Kizu walked up to the window. "Are there others?"

The girl gave a timid look at Kizu's inquiring face. Kizu waited to her another noise.

"Yes." Was the small squeak she gave him as she gave a faint smile. She lifted a hand towards another street where Kizu noticed the dry cleaning hanging outside. He gave some steps towards it and saw water being sucked off of them. An old woman poked her head around the corner of the house to be sure no one saw her abilities and Kizu ducked behind a barrel. She was satisfied and gathered her now dry clothes and walked back inside through a side door.

Kizu turned and saw two men make their way down the road. Their heads were bent low and were whispering to each other. They looked to be in their early twenties and had hats hung low over their heads. The earth moved under their feet as if bending to their might. Only Kizu saw this. He spun back around to the girl who was watching the world just as closely as Kizu had now begun to. :Do you know of others?" Kizu whispered to her as he got in close to the window.

Two hooks locked around his neck and he was pulled backwards down a dark and misty alley. He thrust his hands up and fell forward as the hooks fell away. The assassin grunted and made another attempt. Kizu dodged it and heard more shrieks from the alley. He saw a large beast ride down with another assassin on board. He shot a spear towards Kizu who jumped onto the wooden beams above and swung down behind the rider. He dodged another hook and sent a burst of flame to the spearhead that just missed his neck.

He turned and sprinted down the alley, reappearing at the very house the child lived in. The shutters were shut and the streets were empty still. He darted to the left and began running towards Sergid's house. He saw a shadow pass behind him and stared up. A figure with a large black trench coat was running on the beams above his head. He saw dual blades flash in the semi-light and the figure leapt at him with a screech. Kizu fell and rolled in the earth, a rock shield covering his body. He threw his arms out and some stones flew into the assassin. He got back up and threw his arms behind him. The air propelled him forwards and he found himself sailing down the streets and alleys. He reached Sergid's house and ran inside.

It was empty.

He ran to his room and picked up his pack which was already packed. He had planned on leaving anyway. H e put it on and ran to the door. He flung it open and then ducked back in. He saw an assassin pass by the front of the street on his eel-hound. He turned the other way and paid no attention to Kizu as he slipped out. He ran to the center of town, hoping that a crowd would be there to hide him. No crowd was there. He was stranded in the open with nowhere to go. The shops were oddly closed at this time of day and no kids could be heard playing. "Where is everyone?" Kizu asked silently as he looked around him. He couldn't delay long and he headed for the gate at the end of town.

A cloaked figure jumped down in front of him and made at him with dual blades. Two more rode in on eel-hounds and the man with hooks appeared to the left of them. They circled him and a spear almost hit him. He dodged the swords and hooks and created a shield of air around himself in terror.

The assassins were thrown backwards and made one last lunge at him.

He sunk into the ground and the assassins collided. They rubbed their heads and looked down. The ground was solid. "Where did he go?" the hook man asked in his raspy voice.

* * *

Kizu flew out of the cliff side some distance from the town and rolled down the gentle hill. He had inadvertently made a tunnel of earth for him to escape through. He picked himself up and kept running, not caring which way he went. He decided to run inland, towards some mountain region where the large group after him would have trouble tracking him.

"So this is my destiny?" Kizu sighed as he turned behind him to Gang Hi, a city full of benders but him the only one that mattered. He readjusted his pack and kept going, the sun setting before him.


	8. LOVERS' GLANCES

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 8:**_

_**LOVERS' GLANCES**_

The alpha set the group down on an island to the west. It was sparse at the beach but grew wild with life further in. "Are we there yet?" Long-hin asked as he drowsily woke up from his nap.

"I don't think it had much of a destination." Bakiko snapped as she shook Ran-fo awake.

"No, he didn't." Jip said as she rolled off the bison. "But it did get us somewhere far away from that general guy."

"Oh goody." Kan remarked sarcastically as he too jumped down from the beast's back. Aer looked around and patted the bison's head.

"Thanks for your help." Aer said as she un crossed her legs. She grabbed a horn and lowered herself to the ground. "It was nice of you to help us for this week, but I think we're good on our own now." She reached into the food bag and gave him another apple. He received it and nuzzled Aer. "Oh, come on now." Aer said as she laughed.

"Let it stay if it really wants too." Long-hin said as she took his mat to the closest sandy part. "We can always use him if more trouble pops up." He unrolled his mat and went to bed.

The sun did not agree with this however. Long-hin rolled over as the sun rose in the east.

"We can't go to bed now." Jip said as she lifted the blanket to see if Long-hin was still awake. He pulled it out of her hands and threw it over his head. "You slept on Alpha all the way here."

"Oh, have we decided to name it now?" Bakiko shot as he and Ran-fo set about setting up the campfire.

"Well, if he's going to be in our group he's going to need a name." Jip said in her innocent voice.

"True, we will need to refer to him as something other than bison." Aer said as she stroked him.

"How about diner?" Kan said dryly as he sat down. Alpha growled at him but Kan remained unfazed.

"Stop that." Aer said in reproach to Kan. She looked at the food sack and then flung it at him. He caught it with air and set it down in front of him. "We're almost out. This place looks good for food. Why don't we go and get some?"

"Oh, I'll help." Jip said as she got up and ran towards Aer. Aer sighed and stopped her.

"Actually, I just want Kan to come with me." Jip face fell as she went back to the group. Aer looked down at Kan. He got the message and got up. He swung the bag over his shoulder and walked towards the woods.

"Don't do anything dirty while you're gone." Long-hin shouted from under his blanket. Kan shot a fire ball at the blanket. Long-hin cried and quickly put it out with water bending. "That's the third time this week!"

"Don't go for broke then." Kan shot over his shoulder. Aer whipped her arm around Kan's elbow and they walked off in search of food.

* * *

Kizu made his way towards the shopping district of the town. It was a mountain region with small patches of grassland around. The autumn wind still blew away the winter chill for now. Everyone was bundled up in the newest fashions from around the continent and were seen doing only what was considered sociable.

This was the city of Pathigo. It was one of the largest and most influential cities in what would one day be known as the Earth Kingdom. They were the center of sea trade and were up to date with the newest gadgets items and had very few roads that were not decorated in splendor. A large mountain was beside of it, hiding the only city to rival Pathigo's fame.

That was the city of Kilmojo. It was held in the highest honor as the first city to ever exist. The people had banded together to form a new from of stable government and to start establishing a permanent economy. It was far behind Pathigo in terms of items and new fads, but it made up for it by being the biggest city to manufactured goods and had the fastest ships and carts. They were prompt and efficient, something Pathigo was not near enough to.

These two cities were in a dead lock for power of the area. Pathigo appealed to the dreamers and those who sought a fun life. Kilmojo appealed to those who loved a being in a stable environment and to live in a city held in high regards with the world. Kilmojo barely had any taxes on its people because of all the trade they exported. Pathigo had what could be considered many taxes with just as many perks.

Kizu walked into Pathigo with no qualms from anyone around, despite his obviously out of style clothes. He made his pack more comfortable to his shoulder and walked up to the nearest store. "I'm looking for work." Kizu said. The shopkeeper looked him up and down. He was a lanky man with not much hair on his head.

"A little young aren't you." The man said as he scratched his head.

"I'm only fourteen sir." Kizu said with a bow. "I don't think I'm that worthless."

"Any previous work?"

"I did help as an attendant on a farm." Kizu said. "I'm no stranger to hard labor."

"Okay, I'll take you on as a delivery boy." The man banged the counter and held out his hand. "But when I ask for results, you better deliver twice what is asked of you."

"I'll do my best." Kizu shook his hand and got information on when to report there tomorrow for work. He left and decided to find an inn for him to stay at. He couldn't pay rent right now, but he would find a way. On his way, he entered the high end of the city, situated near a small lake and a high mountain behind it. There stood one of the largest houses Kizu had ever seen. It looked like a palace from the outside, yet had the feeling of a garden. There were large marble walls surrounding the house, which was situated on top of a small hill. Fountains were running in the yard and plants and small statues decorated the lawns. The house had peaked roofs and was made of the same marble that made the wall. It was white with a gold and black trim.

Kizu stopped to admire the house, one of many in the most fashionable cities around. He looked at the fountains and statues and leaned up against the gate. He wandered up to the windows, which were draped in the finest silk. One window stood out from the rest. It had a small balcony with a small birdbath on the ledge. Pink satin was blowing in the wind and the water from the bowl dribbled down into a pool below. Sitting with one leg dangling over the ledge was a beautiful woman. She had long black hair and rosy cheeks. Her skin was delicate and she was wrapped in a fine dress of pink and red with white flowers sown onto it. She was staring sadly into the pool below as the wind seemed calm around her.

"Hey! You there. Move along now!" a guard shouted at Kizu, who had become enwrapped in the girl above. "Don't let me catch you around here again." Kizu took off and gave a look back. The girl was watching him, the action having drawn her eye. She looked stolid and got up. She walked back inside and the curtains whipped closed behind her. Kizu knew he would see her again.

* * *

Aer's arm was still wrapped around Kan's elbow as they entered the woods. Kan gave a looked back and his hand quickly slid down into hers. Aer looked at their hands and then at Kan, who showed no sign of emotion. "If you're going to hold my hand, at least do it with meaning." Aer snapped as she withdrew her hand. Kan looked at her.

"Did you expect anything from me?" Kan asked as he glanced her over. Her posture said keep away.

"I'm just saying that you seem all cuddly and lovely to me at times and then just take these little things for granted." Aer picked up the pace as the sun began to rise higher into the sky.

"What does a hand hold really show but attachment?" Kan asked as he walked up to her.

"It shows affection. It shows that you care. Not that I'm tied to your every whim." Aer threw the bag over her shoulder and pushed past a bush. Ahead of them was a large field of flowers. The sun lit up the dew resting on the petals, illuminating the colors and making the field glow. "It's beautiful!" Aer said in amazement.

"So, this is what you mean?" Kan said as he stared uncaring to the beauty in front of him.

"This is not what I mean with our relationship." Aer snapped as she set off into the field, leaving a small flame behind her. Kan followed cautiously. Aer knelt down by some large purple flowers with thick petals.

"This is extremely lovely." Aer said as she touched the flower. It opened wider and grew higher. She stroked a petal and it curled, dropping the dew off of its delicate surface.

"Do I have to agree with that?" Kan asked as he crouched down next to her. Aer looked at him.

"Why are you always so secluded?" She put her hands, folded, on her legs and stared at him. Kan averted her gaze and shrugged.

"It's just who I am."

"Really?"

"Yes." Aer turned away, not satisfied with the answer. "You seem to be open enough with me."

"That's because I like you." Kan said as he sat fully on the soft ground.

"Really?" Aer turned her head slightly towards him. "So you only open up to those you _like_?"

"Yeah." Kan turned away from her. "No one else would get me."

"I get you."

"That's why I talk to you!" Kan quickly turned back to her, some dew flying off the flowers. One flower turned into ice between the two. Aer looked down at it. Kan pointed to it. "This is what I've felt every day of my life. Like I could do that. None of you have ever felt like that! Even now, when you can bend, you still don't get me at all." Kan put his head on his knees and Aer sighed slightly. She put a hand on the stem of the frozen flower.

The flower thawed. "See. You're not completely alone." Aer said softly, indicating that she too could do what he did. Kan turned back to Aer and slowly looked to the flower. He put a hand out to it. Their hands touched for a moment.

In that moment, the flower burst into flame and withered in a pathetic heap. Aer looked away from Kan.

"See. I'm still alone in many ways." Kan got up and left through the flowers, the bag slung over his shoulder. Aer glanced back at him.

"You're not alone with me." Aer said softly after him, still leaving emotions unsaid.

* * *

Kizu passed by the house again the next day. He made sure the guard was not around as he stared through the gate towards the girl's window. She was there again, sitting by the small bubbler and combing her hair. Her gaze was off towards the mountain in the distance. The mountain was not that tall, but it would be a difficult trek to go up. It was still within easy walking distance of the estate though. The girl's eyes always wandered to it.

Kizu leaned against the gate harder, to try and see if he could see where the girl was looking to. The gate creaked and he fell forward onto the pathway. He got up quickly and, absentmindedly, bent the soil off of himself with a combination of earth and air bending. He looked up and saw the girl staring down at him, comb in hand and a look of surprise on her face.

"Hi." Kizu said faintly. He waved but the girl did not respond. "I'll just be going then." Kizu lowered his head and went out the gate.

"Wait." A soft voice called in reply. Kizu stopped, more stunned by the voice itself than the actual request. He turned and saw the girl, a hand raise slightly in the air. "Please, come here." Kizu looked around to make sure that she was not talking to someone else and made towards the balcony.

"Did you call for me?" Kizu asked as he stared up at her. She looked far more entrancing up close than from afar.

"Yes, I did." The girl said. She put both hands on the balcony ledge. "I was just curious, since you seem different, if you know him."

"Know who?" Kizu asked.

"The man on the mountain." The girl said as she gestured to the mountain. Kizu turned and looked. From this angle, he could make out someone sitting on the top of the mountain. It was not clear enough to make out any physical features or specific parts, but it was easy enough to discern that it was in fact a man.

"I do not know him." Kizu said as he turned back to the girl, who was once again entrapped in her trance. "Why do you ask?"

"Well. We've been staring at each other for a while now. It started a couple of weeks ago. I was sitting on this balcony, staring off at the mountain as always. But, I saw this person climb to the top from the other side of the mountain. We just, glanced at each other but, we haven't seen each other face to face." She put her hand to her check and held it there.

"Do you want me to check on him for you?" Kizu asked.

"No. That's kind of you but I would rather meet him myself. I was only wondering if you knew information on him." The girl said. "Though, if you do find out anything on him, I would be very happy to hear it."

"Okay, but I don't think your guard would be that happy." Kizu said as he stared at where the guard had been the day before.

"Don't worry. Here." The girl detached a brooch from her chest and tossed it down to Kizu. "It is my family seal. Show it to the guard and he will admit you."

"Uh-huh. And what if he asks me who I'm looking for? What will I do then?" Kizu looked at the brooch and then up at the girl, who had a hand clutched to her chest.

"Tell him that you are an honored guest of Oma." The girl said. "Good afternoon. Hopefully our paths will cross again."

"I hope so too." Kizu said, silently hoping that the mountain man would never pop up in his path for the girl's affections. He turned and exited through the gate with a final look back. Oma was still sitting on her balcony, staring off at the mountain.

It wasn't terribly bad on top of the mountain, but it wasn't too pleasant either. There was a sharp chill and some harsh winds. But he took no notice of it. He would have sat there forever if just to see the beautiful girl sitting on her balcony. The spot was special to him. He was sitting on a bench with a cherry blossom tree planted next to it.

The man's name was Shu.

Little did he know, that Oma and Shu would someday impact the world with their love.


	9. MIZU'S PLIGHT

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 9:**_

_**MIZU'S PLIGHT**_

Mizu had walked a decent distance in the week that she had alone, with no crazy military after her. She plopped her pack down in the dirt and bent some trees into a small hut and made the earth soft beneath her feet to create a soft surface under her feet. The time she had alone in the wilderness had given her a lot of time to practice her bending arts. "I wonder where I am exactly." Mizu mused to herself. She leaned against a rock she made rise from the ground. "It would be nice to have a good idea of what direction of where to go." Mizu turned back to her small hut, with the branches still hanging off the walls.

She walked over to it and pressed her hand to it. She was able to get a reading of the area from the energy in the tree. She was towards the east of the large continent and was further south. "Should probably start heading further south tomorrow." Mizu said as she withdrew her hand. She turned to the sky and noticed the sun setting in the sky. "For now, I should try to get some rest." She walked into her shelter and went to bed, completely opting to forget a prayer to the gods that night.

She had grown out of the habit after her epiphany at the north pole. She would have another one there in time but that was only through time. Now, all she would have to worry about is the fast retreating forest that was now being scoured by a certain general with a nasty scar on his chin.

* * *

Zhong had his men double up in large parties and comb through the edges of the large forest that covered the northern wilderness. "I want no one to come back until either I command your return or you have found the girl. Do you understand. "They didn't even bother stopping to answer. They quickly formed a line and began tearing into the thins woods, Mizu only a small ways off.

"And sir, what will we do if we meet her?" the Captain asked with shaking knees.

"We will engage her, and end her." Zhong said as he removed the hand from his chin and turned abruptly to the Captain. "I believe I had made that much clear." Zhong turned back towards the woods, his map table laid out behind him. The wind puffed out his cape and his slightly green armor sparkled in the waning light.

Mizu slept contently in her small hut. She tossed and turned on the soft ground and woke with a fright. She sat up quickly, causing an air bubble to fill the hut and some beams to bend outwards. She smoothed her hair, causing all the sweat to be bent off with her hand. She flicked the wad of water into a corner and got up. She walked outside with her parka in her arms. The moon felt good when she was scared. It seemed to give her more power when it was full. She snapped her fingers and a blaze lit up in the middle of her fire circle. She sat by the warmth and threw her parka on.

"The dream again." Mizu whispered to herself. She had been having this dream for a week now. It was always the same one. She was small, in some sort of box. Her parents were standing over the box, their faces filling the sky above. They smiled down at her. But whenever she tried to escape from her prison, her parents would frown and their faces melt. Then a large hole appeared over the box. It had creepy insect-like legs around it and a wheezing breath was coming from within the hole. The legs extended towards her and caught her. She was lifted up and before she could be devoured, she woke up. "It's nothing. Just something from the new diet." Mizu said to herself, trying to settle her emotions. "Just calm down and let it go."

She let out a long breath of relief and stared into the fire. She heard something behind her. "Hello?" Mizu turned towards where she had heard the sound. She bent the trees apart to see what was there.

She caught two centipede like legs duck into the shadows.

Mizu backed up and ran into her hut. She quickly packed up some of her belongings. She walked out of her hut and threw her arms out behind her. The trees righted themselves. She clenched her fist and moved the dirt that levitated upwards over the fire. She unclenched her hand and the dirt smothered the flame. She kept on walking further into the woods. She heard a twig snap and turned with fright to her right. She saw something moving through the trees. She ducked and made a cloud of dust to cover where she was. She inched closer to look through some low foliage.

A soldier was chopping away at some low branches with his sword, trying to clear a path for himself and the man behind him. "They're here?" Mizu whispered. She heard more noise and turned slightly to her left. Another soldier was walking through the brush. She saw another one beside him and another beside that one.

It was a line of soldiers, all of whom were searching hard for her. She gave a small squeak and airbended herself as far away as possible.

One soldier perked up when he felt a heavy breeze almost knock him off his feet. "Hey, you feel that?" he asked his neighbor.

"Yeah, I did." he replied. He whistled to his comrades. "I think we got something." The other men rushed over to him, and soon word began to spread like wildfire through the dry forest.

Zhong heard it from his outpost. "I think we've got her. You can stop your worrying."

* * *

Mizu took off with a blast of air and was soon in the thick of the forest. She stopped for a moment. The image of the claw like legs and the large mouth like hole was suddenly coming back to her. She knew that the farther she went into the woods, the higher the risk of running into whatever was stalking her, even in her dreams. "Maybe I should just…" Mizu put a hand to the strap of her pack and began to turn around. She heard some shouts and quickly made up her mind to retreat towards the south. There was a small clearing somewhere, she could make that much out from the earth's energy.

She kept running even though she felt her legs would give out. She saw torches waving around in the dense trees. She saw shadows flit past the empty sky.

"She's over there!"

"That's a bush."

"She went that way!"

"It was a bird."

"She's standing right there."

"That's me!"

Mizu ducked low and used some water from the plants to create a smooth path for her to slide down. As she glided along the ground silently, she saw the forest begin to glow green. "This is strange. I thought trees changed color a little later in this season." She jumped up and tripped into a large crevice in the ground. She got up and saw a large glowing green object next to her. "By the spirits, where am I?" Mizu slipped back to her old, spirit faithful ways for a moment as she stared around at the place she had fallen into.

It was a large crater full of glowing green crystals. A stream emptied into a pool at one end of the crater and three stone pillars were raised randomly around the bottom. "This is different." Mizu stepped forward into the forest of crystals and looked around her. She heard a small click and Mizu turned to her left.

She saw nothing but she heard something else. There was another click, like spindly legs crawling across a hard, slick surface. There were multiple legs. Mizu turned around herself and saw a large, centipede like body light up behind a large wall of crystals. It contorted itself and, where the head would have been, turned to her. Mizu backed up and steadied herself against one of the larger crystals. Her breath left her and screaming was not an option. The creature from her dreams began to scale the crystals, the only thing dividing the two products of destiny.

An arrow chipped the crystal near her head. Mizu turned to where the arrow had come from and saw a large man standing there with what looked like a large pole and a string attatched to it. He was wearing golden armor tinted green and had a large, dark green cape. A nasty scar was across his chin, which the man was scratching.

"You're mine now." Zhong said as he leapt down into the crater, sliding down a large crystal spike. The creature was no longer behind the crystal, probably patrolling the arena. Zhong shot off a volley of three arrows, all of which Mizu avoided by ducking behind a crystal. "No where to run now." Zhong shot out three more arrows in rapid succession. Mizu threw a large earth shield in front of her. She focused on one of the crystals and threw it at Zhong. Zhong dodged the crystal and shot an arrow at her.

It just missed her foot by an inch. She sent a wheel of fire at him, causing Zhong to dodge it again, but not before the bow was snapped in half.

"So, this is how it goes." Zhong whipped out his sword from its sheath and ran towards Mizu. She threw two large crystals at him and ducked behind a small outcrop. Zhong sliced through the first crystal but had to duck quickly to avoid the razor sharp projectile aimed at his head. He got up and began searching for Mizu, who had vanished from his sight. His foot was inches from her face without knowing.

"Come out, little girl." Zhong enticed. "I know you're scared. I know you want this whole plight to end. Come out. I'll end it for you right now."

Some dust got in Mizu's nose. She tried to repress the sneeze, but it came. Zhong shot his gaze downwards and cut clean through the crystal over her, barely missing the top of her head. She frantically backed up, dodging every swing of Zhong's sword. She finally ran out of earth and fell into the pool of water in the area. She thrust her arm forward, causing the water to shoot out in a jet at Zhong, sending him back some steps. The ice began to freeze in little globs on him. He shook them off and began chucking crystals into the water, hoping to knock out Mizu, who was holding her breath underneath.

"You leave me no other alternative." Zhong said with a small giggle. He took from within his cloak a small, round balls with a piece of flint at the end. Mizu's eyes widened and she began looking around the bottom of the small pool. She saw one way. She swirled the water around her and propelled herself forward.

Zhong released the bomb into the water and the blast shot the water hundreds of feet into the air, drizzling Zhong. He looked down with triumph into the pool. But there was no body. In fact, there was no sign of her at all. Zhong scratched his chin and ground a crystal beneath his foot. She had got away again.

* * *

The blast propelled Mizu forward and out of the small waterfall at the end of the underground tunnel. It emptied into a lake some miles from the crater. She landed in the water and drifted to the bank. She coughed out the water that had found a home in her mouth and lay down on the shore, exhausted from the fight. "I'll just stay here then." Mizu exhaled as she shut her eyes.

The dream came back again. She was in the box again, but this time it was glowing green. A crystal hung above her. She called out fro her parents but they did not appear. Instead, the creature in its entirety appeared above her, staring down at her. There was no rasping breath or creepy legs descending. It merely watched her. Then the crystal shattered and the image faded. She was floating in darkness, desperately calling to her parents. Then a large circle appeared; one half was white with a black dot, the other black with a white dot. It began to spin and spin, faster each time. Then, it became two fish, the same fish swimming in the oasis. The image vanished again and the creature returned. It was standing still, raspy breath and all.

"Who are you?" Mizu asked. It said nothing, and then it attacked.

Mizu woke up and screamed into the night. She made sure no one was around and then tucked her knees up to her. "What's going on?" she asked Fate. "Who am I?" She buried her head as she cried, her life a mystery even to herself.


	10. INTO THE WEST

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 10:**_

_**INTO THE WEST**_

Alpha was flying up close to the clouds. Aer was sitting on his head as usual, nestled between his horns. Kan was at the rear, being thrown about by the bison's tail, which moved up and down continuously to airbend them up. Bakiko and Ran-fo were next to each other on the right and Jip and Long-hin on the left. "Where are we heading now?" Bakiko asked as he quickly grabbed Ran-fo from falling off backwards.

"I don't know." Aer said as she stared back at him. "I think we're still trying to avoid that general guy. We're probably going to be going to another island for sure."

"Great. I love islands." Long-hin said sarcastically. He turned to Kan, who had refrained from doing his usual snap back at him. "What's up, twinkle toes?"

"Don't call me that." Kan snapped back. Long-hin shrugged and turned back to the group. "I'm not too fond of islands."

"Well, they're pretty good for exploring." Jip said optimistically as always. "You like that, don't you?" Kan turned to her and gave her a small glare.

"I only go away to be alone." Kan turned back to the rear.

"Oh, then why did you have Aer with you last time?" Long-hin pointed out. Kan blasted him with energy off the bison. Aer caught him in a ball of air and set him back on.

"Kan, I know he annoys you, but I don't think we want to add pollution to our list of grievances." Aer shouted to him. Alpha growled in reply. "See? Even he doesn't want that in the ocean."

"Are you saying I'm trash?" Long-hin asked as he set his hair straight with a flick of his hand.

"No, I'm saying you stink. Try taking a bath for once." It was true. Long-hin had not gotten clean since they left the mountain where there was a convenient spring to get water from.

"Nope. I like a nice coating of stink. Keeps the vicious predators away." Long-hin said. With his already lanky body and swatches of fabric everywhere, it would be easy enough to consider him dead. They had a laugh and the Alpha began to descend. They quickly regretted this decision.

A soldier on the ship beneath them gave a feeble wave to them as his eyes widened. What they had thought were clouds was really much lower to the ground.

They had descended right over one of Zhong's command ships. The general himself was no onboard at the moment. He was over in the east handling the Mizu problem. Alpha quickly pulled up and they became covered once again by a thick forest of cloud and fog and smoke.

"So, now what?" Long-hin said in a bad attempt at making the mood lighter.

"What do you think?" Kan asked as he stared at him. "If they're apparently moving forces over here, it means they know where we were going or at least where we'll be. We've got to move somewhere else."

"Yeah, but where?" Bakiko asked. "I don't think there's many choices as to where to get to. The islands will most likely be scoured and we've no idea if there's a large continent out there."

"There had to be other bodies of land somewhere." Jip said. "I mean, where else would everyone be? I doubt that our village was the only population. We'd have seen Zhong a long time ago."

"How do you know that general's name is Zhong?" Kan asked.

"Well, I kind of heard the name shouted by some of those soldier guys." Jip responded as she sunk a little lower into her collar.

"And when were you close enough to them to hear that?" Long-hin asked. "I don't think they invited us to tea or anything."

"Well, I don't think they would, but that's a good idea for trying to negotiate." Jip said as she put on a small smile.

"I was joking." Long-hin said dryly.

"Jip, how did you overhear soldiers?" Kan asked. Jip looked down and then towards Aer. She gave a small nod.

"I used a technique that Aer taught me. She taught me how to use Airbending to pick up sounds in the distance, magnify them, and hear them. I used it a couple of minutes ago when those men were talking about their general. I think they're afraid of him." Kan turned silently to Aer.

"Why not show her how to bend metal while you're at it." Kan shot at Aer.

"What are you talking about?" Aer said as she turned fully towards him. "I made the technique so that we could hear information without having to get into a confrontation or a fight. A peaceful way to avoid trouble. Why else do you think we haven't run into the army in so long? I've been listening to their movements from up here."

"Yeah. We've been Soundbending for a while now." Jip said as she turned hopefully to Kan.

"Why not just attack the army and be done with it?" Kan said as he threw out an arm. A cloud morphed into a skull behind him and a water whip thrashed through the air. "See? It would have been very easy just to end them and avoid conflict."

"For once I agree with him." Bakiko said. "It is best to just fight first, run later. Sooner or later they are going to catch up with us and I'd rather they be trembling with fright of what we'll do to them instead of it the other way around."

"But that would be cruel." Aer shot at him. Alpha began to grumble. "We have all of this power at our hands, power I never even wanted."

"But I guess fate had other plans, didn't it?" Kan shot as he crossed his arms. "I've felt this power for a long time now. You've only just begun."

"I'm not trying to say that you deserve less than me, but we can't just go on with this deadly force at our fingertips. I mean, I can snap my fingers and wipe out an entire nation. Kan, I don't want that. I'm a vegetarian for spirit's sake." Aer's face was full of emotion, every word of her plea from the heart. "But if this is what fate wants, then I'm sticking to one element only." Aer turned back around and sat on Alpha's head. "I've chosen Airbending. Peaceful and defensive, and only violent when necessary; even then not in a harmful way."

Kan's eyes flared up. Jip turned to Aer and crawled towards her. "And I choose it too." She said to Aer. She threw her arms around her stand in sister and Aer hugged back. "I'm tired of all this fighting too."

Kan bit his lip and turned away from them. "We left that village to get away from them. To be ourselves. Now this is how you go? Sticking to one…"

"Kan, give it a rest." Aer said and she turned softly to him. "Please."

Kan sat up straighter and held his arms across his chest.

"Thank you." Aer replied. She turned back towards the sky and sat still. "We'll go to the west. The army is slightly afraid of going too far into those islands. Mostly volcanic in nature and with a lot of spirit activity."

"Sounds perfect." Long-hin snapped.

"Yes, perfect." Bakiko said as he once again saved Ran-fo from falling off the bison's back.

"Yes, it does _sound _perfect." Jip piped in, joking as to how Aer had just got this information. Straight from the lips of the terrified soldier a couple of miles below. Alpha roared again and continued flying off, into the west and the unknown.

* * *

Zhong boarded the ship, light without his bow, arrows, and missing one bomb. "Get underway." Zhong said as he took his place at the map table. "I want to get on those mountain kids again. We've given them a week while we've been out here searching for the girl. They'll have gotten very far by now."

"Probably into the larger continent." One of the men shouted his opinion. Zhong threw his cup at him.

"No. They won't be there. They would have been island hoping right about now. And very soon, they'll run out of island." Zhong turned to one of the officers. "No word yet of our naval fleet?"

"None whatsoever sir. They have scoured every island and have bases set up on each one. We will need more troops for a closer inspection of them sir. And with this being the only global institution, I don't see how this army can keep going after these…benders." Zhong picked him up and threw him against one of the walls, his hand holding him up by the scruff of his shirt.

"Then we can get more. I know the organizer of this institution and, if we can get enough support from other large cities, we can build an army to devour the entire world. There is no safe haven for them here but a couple of fragmented islands. I will make sure that there is no safe haven, even under a speck of dust. They will be found, starting with the first bender." He let the officer fall to the ground.

"Well, then where is it that you propose we go." One of his men managed to say as the ship rocked away from the dock. Zhong strode over and placed a fat finger on a point of the map. He then traced a circle around it.

"Into those volcanic islands there." Zhong lifted his finger from the islands, the largest of which looked like a skull.

"But, sir, those are full of spirits and…well…not a very pleasant place all around." The soldier stuttered.

"Do people occupy it?" Zhong asked.

"Well…I have heard of human settlements."

"Is it very possible to hide there?"

"Yes, sir, but what are the odds that those kids…" Zhong cut him off abruptly.

"What were the odds that those kids would fly off that mountain?" He slammed his fist on the table. "What were the odds that a sky bison would ferry them to safety and, most likely, escort them around the world?" The soldier backed up to the rail as Zhong approached him. "And what are the odds that I won't throw you off this boat if you dare go against my wishes again?"

"I…um…not, I mean…very high sir." The soldier answered through chattering teeth.

"You're right." Zhong grabbed the soldier and tossed him into the foamy water at the side of the ship. "I don't need insubordinate men on this trip. If you do drift to shore before something eats you, make sure to get that girl for me." Zhong gave a mock wave and walked to his cabin, the men splitting to let him through. He slammed his door behind him, causing the ship to rock.

"Well, I suggest we get some wind in those sails and get underway." The Captain said as he straightened his shoulder pads and picked his helmet up off the deck. "Set a course towards those islands.

"Sir, look!" a crew member shouted as he pointed to the sky. The Captain looked and saw a hawk circling over the ship. It descended and flew to the rail of the ship. The Captain walked over to it and untied the mote from the hawk's leg. It squawked, inquiring about its fee. The Captain fished in his pocket and fed him some bread and then read the letter. It was scribbled quickly from the looks of it, blotches of ink staining the page. The handwriting was like deciphering some unknown language.

"Need payment before any…services. Boy may be in… Ten times the amount. There may also be…Gang Hi….Pathigo…Kilmojo…Tirji and Kizu. The Screaming Banshees." The captain folded up the note and pocketed it. A hand instantly shot out for it. The hawk gave a final caw and fled into the sky. The Captain turned it over to Zhong's open hand and he read through it.

"Pay them they're due, but ask to meet them in person for more information." Zhong said. "I want the other half of our fleet to set a course to Pathigo and Kilmojo. We know who we're after."

"Who sir?" the Captain asked. Zhong gave a small smile and scratched his chin. He then turned the letter towards him.

"We're looking for little Kizu." Zhong pointed to the name right beside his brother. "We may have to pay a visit to Tirji's cell when we get back as well. There may be more than what he's told us." Zhong crumpled up the paper and walked to the bow of the ship, staring off at the horizon was they moved towards the mountain kids. The mountain group had no idea what they were going into or what they would find as they moved into the west.


	11. THE CHERRY BLOSSOM TREE

_**

* * *

**_

Book 1: AIR

_**CHAPTER 11:**_

_**THE CHERRY BLOSSOM TREE**_

The buds had bloomed that spring. They were a bright pink and the wind made them blow so gracefully that they seemed like something from the spirit world. A bench of stone had been set beside it, catching the flowers and buds as they fell off and floated on the wind to its resting place. Gentle hands held Shu as he sat beside his mother years ago. "Look out there, son." His mother said to him, just young enough to remember this moment.

The mountain was low but steep to climb. His mother had a path made for her to climb up to it, just for that view. You were half-way to the heavens but close enough to the earth. Cities and small villages could be faintly seen through the mountainous surroundings. Clouds seemed more like giant rivers of fluff than an incoming storm. Shu stared blankly out at this world. "Do you see it?" his mother asked. "This is the world we live in, all things surrounding us and changing. Take this tree for example. It only blooms for a short period of time before it dies and waits for the next spring to come and revive it." She plucked a blossom in its descent and held it down to Shu.

"It is a symbol of beauty, and love, and affection. And when you look out into this world, I want you to see the same thing." She handed the flower to Shu who took it in his hands and giggled. His mother kissed him and gestured outwards. The world was beautiful, but he did not know true beauty till much later, when he saw her on the balcony.

She was sad looking, a bird resting on her finger. She stroked it and then kissed it. She shut it back in its cage, where it waddled to a perch and sat there singing its song for her ears. She smiled faintly and turned to the small fountain on her balcony, spilling off into the pool below. She put a finger in it and flicked some water out, her hair tossing in the bright sunshine. Her gaze averted to the mountain top, where Shu sat this day on the bench. It was Autumn so there were no buds on the tree.

Shu gazed down at the lovely girl for many days, leaving only at night when he saw her candle blown out. It was not until recently that she had begun to gaze back. Her eyes were lovely, more so than her body or the world around them. For these few moments they were all that existed. The sun set again on this day and Oma returned to her bedroom behind the curtain. He saw the candle blown out and he got up from his bench, wrapping his blue cloak around him against the wind. "Good night, my love. For I shall have to say good night 'till it be 'morrow." Shu said as he turned and touched a hand to the trunk of the tree and began his way down the steep stone steps to his home on the other side of the mountain, in Kilmojo.

Oma woke up at the crack of dawn and was given her morning primping by her maids. She finished her bath and accepted the rose in her hair for this day. She walked out of the curtain and onto the balcony. She turned to the mountain and saw the familiar man sitting beneath the barren tree as always. She went to the bird cage and took out her song bird. She let it bathe in the small fountain and it twittered some notes for her. She stroked it and put it back in its cage, never letting it truly be free. She then took up the rest of the day looking at her admirer from a distance.

"Morning, Oma." Kizu said through the bars of the gate. She turned to him and her face lit up.

"Have you news from the man?" Oma asked hopefully. Kizu's face fell.

"No. I was just saying hi." Kizu said. He readjusted the parcel under his arm. "I have to be at the other end of town in a couple of minutes or I don't get paid. I'll see you later." Kizu waved good-bye, a small hint of a growing love for her.

But he did not know her. The man on the mountain did not know her. Yet he seemed more appealing than anything in the world. She frowned for a bit and then watched her lover again.

"Odd, that boy." Shu thought to himself. "I wonder what was so important that that beautiful woman would stop to talk to him. He must be a child at best." Jealousy started its deadly bit in him as he pondered over and over in his head what was special about the boy.

"Maybe he is an old family friend."

"Probably works for the postal system, they met on his routes."

"Or he is a suitor to her."

"Impossible, the boy is too young."

"Maybe he just looks like young."

Shu pondered this over and over, the tree beside him shaking in the wind. Night fell and Oma returned to her room. The candle was blown out and Shu got up again. He walked down the steep steps and entered his own home. He went into his room, past his servants who were puzzled as to where he has been disappearing to every day. He dressed for bed and blew out his candle.

* * *

Oma woke in the night and put on her robe. She put on her best sandals and threw a traveling cloak around her. It was red with white designs on it that swirled and curled into dazzling displays. He took a lantern from her cupboard and lit it. She then walked out into the cold night and began her walk towards the mountain, longing in her every step. She climbed up the steep incline, her dress catching on some bushes and being torn by rocks in her path. She made it to the top of the hill as the sun was rising. She saw the bench there before her and the barren cherry blossom tree beside it. She set her lantern down on the bench and went to the tree. It was beautiful, even in its fruitless state. She touched a branch and it snapped off. She caught it in both hands and held it as she examined the cherry blossom buds on it. It was autumn and a winter chill was fast approaching, there should not have been buds on it now.

She heard some footsteps and bent down to blow out her lantern. She readjusted her robe and looked up.

Shu was standing in his blue cloak, one hand holding onto a branch by the top of the stairs. The world seemed to stop for that moment as the two people gazed upon their admirer for the first time. Oma brushed her hair with her hand and Shu gulped.

"Hi." Oma said so faintly it could be considered a whisper.

"Hello." Shu responded. He was so taken aback by her beauty this close that he found no other words to say.

"I've seen you on this mountain top for a while now. I see you gazing at me on my balcony." Oma said.

"And I see you staring back at me." Shu responded. "I can't take my eyes off of you, even if they were pulled from my head." Oma's eyes widened and she blushed slightly.

"Oh. I…think that was a compliment." Oma said softly. Shu put a hand to his head and tried to chuckle but nothing came out.

"It was. I mean…you're so beautiful that I would…tear my eyes…I want to say…my eyes will never stop watching you. Not in a creepy sort of way just that I would always watch you…not when you're doing…stuff and stalk you or…" Shu was tripping over himself. His face grew redder as he attempted to put his feelings to words…and failed miserably. Oma blushed more and put a hand to her hair and turned away from him.

"What I really mean to say is…You are beautiful" Shu sighed as he finally gave up the attempts to sound romantic.

"Took you long enough." Oma said, almost nervous for him. "I think you're…handsome." Oma said as she studied Shu's stature.

"Thank you." Shu said with a small bow. There was an awkward pause here as the lovers fought inside themselves as to what they would say. Oma broke the ice first.

"I've noticed you gazing at me from this bench on this mountain top." Oma gestured to the bench next to the cherry blossom tree. "How long have you been doing this, before I caught you?"

"Well, not to sound creepy or anything, I have been watching for a while now." Shu said as he turned his head down slightly. Oma blushed redder than she had ever done so before. "I just found you so, attractive."

"I think you've already stated that before." Oma said softly.

"Yeah, a little bit." Shu remarked.

The sun had risen fully now and the two cities were washed with its light. Kizu was walking towards Oma's house, hoping to get a glimpse of this mortal goddess. He snuck up to the gate and made sure that no one was on guard. He snuck his gaze through the bars and up towards the balcony that Oma usually occupied at this moment. She was not there. He turned his gaze to the windows and rooms of the mansion but could not see her anywhere. Some maids were clearly flustered and guards were beginning to emerge onto the grounds. Kizu looked up to the mountain as his obsession did and saw two figures this time on the peak. He leaned off the gates and began to walk along the wall towards the mountain. He could see a man and woman atop it.

He continued his walk towards the mountain, forgetting that the road turned to make room for a house. He smashed into it and turned to follow the path that had been laid out for him, slightly dizzier to him now. He walked towards his work and shook his head. He may have to pay her a visit later.

"I think that my servants will be surprised to see me gone." Oma said as she and Shu turned to the rising sun. She shot a look to Pathigo below. "I must leave you." They were sitting on the bench. Oma rose to leave as Shu did too. "I will see you again."

"Yes, but face to face like this please." Shu said. "I don't think my heart will be satisfied with a mere gaze now that I know the heart beneath the beauty." He kissed her hand and turned to the tree. A single cherry blossom was there, as out of place as these two lovers. He plucked it off and placed it in Oma's hair, replacing the rose. "So you will remember me."

"I cannot forget what I have seen for what seems like every day of my life." Oma responded. She waved good bye and walked back down the mountain as Shu stood there for a few more moments. He watched her make her way down and onto a small road in Pathigo. She made her way to her mansion and walked through the gates, nervous guards rushing to meet her. She walked through them with a high head, gently touching the cherry blossom. She reappeared on her balcony a few moments later and turned to Shu, still on the mountain top.

She smiled and went to her bird cage and opened it. She let the song bird bathe in the fountain and then took it in her hands. She kissed it and released it into the air. It flew in circles for a few minutes, singing the happiest tune it could muster for its freedom march. It then took off towards the mountain and rested on the top most branch of the cherry blossom tree. It sang another song to Shu as he descended from his small oasis.

The song filled the air, reminding both Oma and Shu of their brief and first encounter. The cherry tree had more buds on it and Oma's branch had now sprouted roots. The two trees would grow over time, in a place that was against its very survival in a climate that was not made for it. But nevertheless, it bloomed.


	12. THE AUDIENCE

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 12:**_

_**THE AUDIENCE**_

Zhong's ship cut through the water as if it were paper. The sails were full of wind and the men full of fear when they reached the volcanic waters. The men talked amongst themselves on what they would see and hear in these islands. It had been a couple of days at sea for them as they traveled to the west and headed for the tip of the largest island. The shore was visible and a large volcano could be seen from the deck of the ship. "Are we starting to chicken out now?" Zhong asked his men as he scratched his chin again. He had sent another hawk to the head of the global organization that was the army. He had requested an audience with him at the most convenient time to see about getting more troops for himself.

"Sir, what are we to do when we reach the islands?" one of the men said as he saluted.

"We are to find those mountain kids of course." Zhong said with a small hiss in his voice. "What did you assume we would be doing on this expedition? Chasing spirits?" The man gulped and returned to the other men, waiting in a small huddle in the center of the ship. The Captain looked at them and then turned to Zhong.

"You really are pushing your men." The Captain said nervously. Zhong gave him a look from the corner of his eye.

"I am?" Zhong said with a small undertone of disdain. "Tell me, Captain, how else would you get men to follow you?"

"I…well…I wouldn't push them for one." The Captain stuttered as Zhong turned completely to him.

"And how far will that take you?" Zhong asked as he leaned on the rail, one hand gripping it tightly, causing it to splinter.

"To…the end of our mission…hopefully." The Captain said. Zhong had a large frown on his face.

"So, you think that what is good and righteous will help you get to your goal? I'm touched. Do you also believe in the power of friendship or is that what your unicorn believes?" Zhong made to throw the Captain to the deck, but he avoided his arm and retreated a couple of steps. "If you want to go all goody-goody on these demi-gods then be my guest. I'll ship your bloody remains to your mother then?"

Before the Captain could respond a screech was heard from above. The ship docked on the black shore and men piled off of the ship, fearing that whatever the letter contained would upset Zhong even more. Zhong grabbed the letter and read it to himself. He smiled.

"I have an audience with the Master. Prepare a ship for me immediately and make sure there are enough provisions on it. I'm going to the mainland."

Kizu walked the streets of Pathigo with three parcels under his arm. He was making his wat quietly through the crowds, making sure not to jostle the packages too much as he made his way to the destination. He stopped again at Oma's house. He put the parcel on the ground and leaned through the bars of the gate to see her.

She was smiling and combing her hair as she stared at the mountain man again. A bird, the one that had once been in a cage, was now flying in the air above her balcony, singing its lovely melody. Oma laughed and caught the bird on one finger. She put her brush down and stroked it with the back of her hand. It twittered and fluffed its feathers. She gave it a kiss and released it. It flew up towards the man on the bench who reached out an arm to accept the bird.

"What in the…?" Kizu began as he pondered what this exchange meant. He heard someone come up behind him.

"So this is why you're late!" his boss hissed in his ear. Kizu turned to see the old man seething behind him. "I get complaints that you're late or the package is a little dented, or that you just seem careless and now I see that you are a peeing tom in the house of our governor!" The man thrust a finger to the mansion. He bent down and picked the packages up from the dirt and took them under his arms.

"You are fired!" he shouted as he turned on his heel. "And no payment for this delivery either." He shouted over his shoulder as Kizu stood there in slight embarrassment and disbelief. He turned to Oma, who was looking down at him. She gave a wave and then turned back to the man.

"Figures. Not even a word of pity." Kizu said. He dug into his pocket and took out the brooch she had given him a while back. He held it in his hand and he began to walk along the wall, away from Oma.

He turned it over in his hands and then dug it into his pocket. "Worthless piece of junk."

* * *

The hall was brightly lit with torches as Zhong entered the room, with gleaming armor and flowing cape. The Master was unable to be seen from the large fire wall that was behind him, only a silhouette could be made out. Zhong got down on his knee and bowed to his superior.

"I am sorry to keep you waiting this long, my Master." Zhong said with every intention of kissing up for this favor. "I have been on campaign to get rid of these benders that you are so fully learned on. My ship took about three days at sea to reach the nearest port and the docks hands were of no help to me when I tried to procure a ride of myself to reach this audience."

"Very drawn out for the likes of you." The Master said in a husky voice. Zhong's eyebrow twitched. "I know all about what your men think of you. Even I know what you're like. I did hand pick you for this job."

"And I am very grateful for it, my liege." Zhong butted in, a drop of sweat rolling down his forehead. "I would never disappoint you. Ever vigilante in my quest for peace, I will stop at nothing to ensure that it remains so."

"Even if more peace is unsettled for this cause?" the Master quipped. Zhong was at a loss for words. The Master gave a laugh. "Zhong, you are the only person blind to what is really going on here. Maybe that is why your men are so terrified of you." He moved forward, away from the wall of fire and strode over to a regal desk with ink pots and maps scattered across it. He picked up a large bundle of scrolls that were lying next to a fancy letter opener.

"I've received these messages every day from your soldiers. They speak of the plots you plan and the threats you make." He bounced the bundle of letters in his hands as Zhong bent his face towards the floor. "You've sent assassins after a fourteen year old boy. You shot rockets at a group of kids that have not even fought back yet. And you openly engaged a sixteen year old girl in battle. You could have killed her."

"_She_ fought back." Zhong said as he raised his head. "She threw these crystals at me. It was self defense!"

"And what caused her to throw these crystals at you?" Zhong looked down again. The Master tilted his head to the side. "What happened to that bow of yours? And one of your special bombs we made sure were tucked in your armor?" Zhong looked further down, his nose almost touching his golden boot.

"They are kids, Zhong. No different from the riff raff that we see everyday out there. No different than what you were. But need they suffer because of what happened to you as a child? Must you enforce this brutal act of stalking and threat upon them?"

"You were the one who assigned me to lead this mission." Zhong got up, forgetting his manners in his growing temper. "You heard the cries of this world! You agreed with me that whatever must be done to suppress these monsters must be done!"

"And we did not know yet that they were mere children!" The Master threw the letters into the fire wall and they blazed up along with it. Zhong stood straight backed and proud as ever. "Now that we do know, you must at least give these kids some time to come down from their cloud. If they persist and begin threatening this world then I will allow whatever action must be taken to be fulfilled. But so long as they are running, cease this deadly fire."

Zhong head fell at these words. He was useless now. He would go back to his men and order a cease fire? They had them, he knew it. They couldn't be trusted. "But what of my request? It would be helpful to have some more men to keep the kids under control."

"I will still consider it for that purpose." The Master said as he nodded his head slightly. "But give these kids some time to get their heads on."

"It's been a month!" Zhong screamed. "Winter is almost here. How much more time can they need!"

"How much time did _you_ need?" the Master attacked. Zhong stopped, hand raised in the air and hair messed on his head. "How long did you need to recover from their deaths?" The Master paced around Zhong in a circle, flooding him with his past. Zhong lowered his arm.

Kizu packed his things in his apartment. He would need to find a new place to live, no one would employ him now.

"How long did you need to revoer from your parent's deaths?" The Master asked as Zhong closed his eyes, their faces filling his memory.

There was a knock on the door. The old man was itching to get Kizu out of his house, pounding on the door every so often.

"How long did you need to get over their murders?"

"I'm coming!" Kizu shouted over the banging. He swung his pack over his shoulder.

"How long did it kill you inside to go looking for someone to help, and then being left alone with no closure?"

"I said I'm coming!" Kizu shouted as he opened the door.

The Master leaned in close to Zhong's ear. "How long have you wanted revenge for their unsolved deaths?" Zhong let one tear fall. "How long have you wanted to take out all your rage on the man who killed them and never paid?"

Kizu looked out into the hallway and dropped his jaw. A familiar hook was twirling in the assassin's hand.

"You want peace, Zhong. But from what?"

Kizu slammed the door shut as the hook dragged it off its hinges. He ran to the window and jumped out of it, airbending breaking his fall. He ran away, raising earth pillars to hide him. A spear missed his head but the arrow did not miss his shoulder.

"You want to live in a world where there is justice and peace and every villain gets what he deserves, but you seem to be the only exception. You treat these kids like every one treated you after their deaths. Like worthless animals."

Kizu screamed in pain as he tumbled to the ground, his arm reaching out for something to grab and touching cold steel.

Zhong screamed as he fell to his knees, that fateful day flashing in front of his eyes. The Master backed up and walked to his desk. He pulled back his high backed chair, with a phoenix engraved at the top, and put his fingers in front of his face.

"You may leave Zhong. Leave like the broken man you are."

* * *

The metal swung forward and Kizu felt something grab him. He could hear screeching from behind him as he heard something creak and cold hands grab him.

Was he dying? Was this it?

He opened his eyes one last time and saw the mountain in the distance, the man standing now and the bird twittering right above Kizu. He closed his eyes and fell into the darkness. He heard something else open and then he heard something scratching at metal. It was letting out a vicious screech.

Heavy footsteps could be heard and the shouts of men were almost thunderous. He could hear a weapon being thrown about and then, very faintly, he heard whispers as he was dragged over a warm rug. They sounded inquisitive. Then, he heard a commanding voice, although it sounded as sweet as a dove. Soft footsteps were now heard and Kizu felt himself propped up. He squinted through the pain of the arrow in his shoulder. He saw some girls trailing in front of them, opening some doors and clearing the halls of what looked like a palace. There was a fireplace in the adjacent room and he could feel its warmth as he was carried up some stairs.

He felt something hit the arrow and he passed out again. The last thing he remembered doing was reaching into his pocket and grabbing…something. It was seized within a moment he had first touched it and he felt himself thrown face down onto something oddly soft. Then the arrow was hit again and he passed out for good.


	13. THE CRESENT ISLAND

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 13:**_

_**THE CRESENT ISLAND**_

Alpha glided through the air, his large tail creating the air platform that carried them. Aer was holding onto his horn once again as he roared. He jerked and then began his descent. "Hang on." Aer called back to the passengers as the bison gave another heave and landed, all six legs touching the rocky shore at the same time. It was early morning so there was little light to illuminate their new home.

But it was not necessary. The flowing rivers of lava gave enough light for this cause. "So, this is why no one wants to live here?" Long-hin quipped as he stepped carefully over the trickle of lava. "Funny, I thought everyone wanted to live in a place where the threat of being burned by molten rock is ever present."

"Spare us the lame jokes." Kan said as he helped Jip down from the bison's back.

"And who thinks they're lame?" Long-hin asked.

"We do!" everyone else chimed in unison. Long-hin made a fart noise and grabbed his sleeping bag.

"I'm off to find a spot where there isn't any flaming liquid. If I succeed then you can have the next available spot." Long-hin tried to joke.

"And I'll be sure to throw you into the first lava river I see." Kan shouted back. Aer jabbed him in the side.

"Shut it!" Aer said as she helped Jip over a small lava flow. "I don't want anymore of this fighting. Is that understood?"

"Crystal." Kan said in response. He walked over to a clear spot and raised a hand. A rock platform rose, causing the lava flow to stop and redirect itself around the new obstacle. Kan then bent the remainder of the lava off his perch and set down a mat. He lay down and threw his dagger to the side of him.

Bakiko turned to Alpha, who had reserved a nice open area on the shore. "You sure know how to pick them." He said to the bison as he walked over to where Ran-Fo was struggling to find an empty area. He too bent the earth, but this time to form a wall to shield them instead of a pillar.

Aer and Jip found a spot not too far from Alpha and made camp. Aer set up a fire, which was difficult when so close to the water, and Jip rolled some rocks to form a bench around it. "Breakfast should be ready soon." Aer called to all of the group, who had dispersed along the island's coast. A loud bunch of murmurs were heard in response and Aer set about rummaging in her food sack.

* * *

Kizu opened his eyes slowly, taking in the light that spilled from a candle beside the couch and the fireplace next to him. A group of women, all wearing aprons and wearing small hats, were busy around a bowl of water, washing rags and bandages and then applying them to his shoulder. He saw on a tray the very arrow that had hit him. It's tip was not there but the shaft looked gruesome. Kizu turned away and felt a pain in his shoulder where the arrow had been planted.

"I think he's come to." One of the girls said as she leaned in close to Kizu's face. Kizu threw up an arm to block her face. Loud whispers began to fill the glowing room as the women rushed to Kan's side, some dropping the bandages they were going to apply to the already large cast around his shoulder, arm, and chest. Kizu stuck his hand over his chest and under his left shoulder. He felt a pad on top and bottom of the wound and bandages keeping them in place.

They ran from around his shoulder to his chest, where they wrapped around his several times. He looked around again, some women backing up to give him room.

The brooch was lying on bed across the room behind the couch. It looked like an apartment, with the area Kizu was in as a sort of living room. He tried to get up but the women pushed him down, some of them giggling.

"Oh how cute, the little thing wants to keep going." One of the women said.

"Bless the poor thing. It was fate's hand that brought him here."

"Yes, and fate too that mistress Oma was walking towards the gate at the same time the young boy ran into it."

"And from assassins of all things!" The women turned away from Kizu to talk amongst themselves. "The poor thing, he's been blessed by the spirits to even live."

"That's enough chatter from you." A soft voice said, the same one that had given orders the day before to the maids. "Now, I will tend to my guest myself."

The women curtsied and left in a cloud of rumors. The woman closed the doors behind them with a click and swept over to Kizu's side. She was wearing a large pink robe and had on a fine white dress.

"How are you, Kizu?" Oma asked as she brushed back her beautiful black hair.

"I'm not too sure." Kizu responded. "What happened exactly? I remember running from the assassins and being hit with something in the shoulder, but the rest is all really a big blur."

"Yu were hit with an arrow in the shoulder." Oma said solemnly. "I was walking down the walk towards the gate when I saw you stumble around the corner and fall into my gate. I ran to you and picked you up and shut the gate as those people came riding around on their eel-hounds. My guards came rushing to them within an instant and I dragged you inside. I ordered my maids to take you up to my suite and take care of you. You've been out for about a day."

"Oh." Kizu said softly. "So that's how it went. But, I saw the mountain. I saw the man…"

"He's nothing at the moment." Oma said as she pushed Kizu further into the softness of the couch. "Now, rest for a while. I will make sure you are better." Kizu sunk into sleep and moved onto his good side. Oma stroked his head and kissed him on the forehead.

She heard a rock being thrown at her window. She got up and walked through the curtain onto the balcony.

Shu was standing in the courtyard bellow her, next to the pool of water. Oma smiled. "What is such a man doing in my house?"

"Such a man cannot be kept from such a beauty that invades the eyes." Shu responded with a smile. Oma laughed. "You did not come yesterday. I saw the boy and those men. What happened?"

"The boy is an acquaintance of mine." Oma responded. "I met him a couple of weeks ago. I was walking to meet you when I saw him attacked. I had to nurture him back to health. But he is fine now. He has regained consciousness."

"That's good to hear." Shu said. "Will you not meet me now?"

"He is resting now. If he needs me I must be there for him." Oma said. Shu's face fell. "But being close enough to hear your sweet voice will help to lessen the pain of not feeling your touch." Shu looked up at her and smiled.

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

"Till then, my love." Shu gave a bow and turned into the shadows. He left through the gate and made his way towards the mountain, where the bird could be seen circling the peak. Oma blushed and turned back into the suite, where she walked over to a cozy chair by the fire and sat down, gently touching the cherry blossom in her hair.

* * *

The night wasn't dark with the large lava flow. The red glow kept the night glowing and Jip's thoughts adrift. She was on her side, staring at a trickle of glowing water as it entered the warm waters and turned black. "Strange how something so hot is changed so quickly." Jip said out loud. Aer turned to her in her in her blanket.

"What?"

"I was just saying how something so powerful and hot and full of energy can be brought to something so insignificant so suddenly." Jip turned her head to Aer. "Kind of like us."

"It's okay, Jip. It isn't that bad. We're seeing the world just as we wanted to." Aer said as she sat up and looked to Jip. "I mean, yeah it is sad how we have this power and are forced to change our lives so suddenly, but it isn't like it's gone for good or anything. Things will be all right." Aer got up and hugged Jip. "You'll see."

She walked back to her mat and laid down. "Try to get some rest." She went to bed as Jip once again turned to the flowing lava trickle. How could any of them know that their past lives were gone forever?

* * *

Mizu finally made it to the sea. "At last, a familiar sight!" Mizu dropped her pack and ran into the surf as the sun set. She dunked underneath it and began to do laps around it. She laughed a little. She was close to the equator so the water was warm and inviting. She swam out to some rocks and bent a small diving board from them. She jumped in with a cannon ball, causing a giant hole to be formed and them filled back in as Mizu landed.

She got out and whipped her arm around her and then tossed the water out to sea. She took out some rocks she had dug up a couple of days ago and began walking along the beach with her pack to find some good pieces of wood to use as firewood. "There must be some good driftwood somewhere." Mizu mused to herself. She spotted a large vessel through the night air a little further down the shore and nestled in some rocks. "That could work." Mizu threw her arms to he right side and then took off in a blast of airbending, leaving a large trail through the sand as it followed her. Some palm trees snapped and fell from the release of energy, but Mizu paid it no mind.

* * *

Kan tossed and turned on his large stone platform. He had visions of a mysterious island. He was on it and so were Aer and Jip and two strangers that he had never seen before. He tried to reach out to Aer but she flew away from him. Jip huddled in a ball and melted into the island. The mysterious girl summoned a large water whip and hurled it at Kan as the mysterious boy rose up on a column of earth and lunged at him. Kan woke with a start and sat up.

Was it a vision? It couldn't have been. He bent a small whip of lava onto the platform to use as light as he stayed up. Something was coming. He could tell. This island is weird. It was as if it was somehow spiritual. Maybe this is why not many people lived here.

He felt the earth shake and a loud rumble begin. He turned behind him and saw a thick plume of black soot began to rise from the top of the volcano. "Guys, the volcano!" Kan shouted as he dropped his earth platform, upsetting the lava flow around it. He recoiled in pain as he was burned on the bottom of his left foot. He fell to the ground, narrowly avoiding another stream of lava.

Aer was up in an instant. "Kan!" she shouted as she jumped over a trickle of lava and ran to his side. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay!" Kan snapped. "I got burned on my foot."

"At least it wasn't your…" Long-hin started as he walked back over to the group. The island shook again and the smoke from the volcano increased. A piece of rock burst open, releasing noxious gas and a large burst of lava with it. Aer threw her arms in a circle and extended. A blast of air knocked away the gas and super cooled the lava.

"Jip, get Alpha ready to go."

"Okay." Jip called back to Aer as she ran to the bison, who was already stirring.

"Bakiko, Long-hin, help Kan get on." Aer said as Bakiko ran to join the small party. Aer looked down at the lava and then up at the volcano. Another loud blast filled the night and the earth felt like it had split open. A large blast of firry hot molten lava spewed out of the volcano, sending rock and soot every where. Aer threw an arm in front of her, causing an air shield to cover her and her friends. Alpha whipped around and smashed his tail, causing a large amount of rock and ash to be sent spiraling backwards.

Aer dropped her shield and gave another blast of air to form a path to Alpha. Bakiko and Long-hin grabbed Kan under each arm and helped him hobble over to the large beast. "Jip, I need your help." Aer shouted over the roar of the magna racing down on them. "We need to buy is some time to get out of here."

"What can we do? We don't lava bend." Jip pointed out as she ran over to Aer, who was beckoning. "We're airbenders, remember?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean we're useless." Aer put a hand on Jips shoulder and nodded. Them clasped hands and began to walk sideways towards the flood of lava. They picked up speed, their feet causing a small slice of air to super cool the lava beneath their feet. They then began to sprint full force at the impending doom.

"What are you loonatics doing?" Long-hin shouted to them as Kan was hoisted onto Alpha's back.

They kept running, even faster now. Jip gave a small whimper as the wall of lava bore down on them.

"Ready?" Aer asked as they were almost set upon.

"Yes." Jip replied slightly afraid of what would happen if it didn't work. They began to circle their hands around each other. They released, leapt into the air and spun to face forward. A rope of cool air wove between them. They thrust out and the weave of cold air was blasted into the wall of lava. It curled as it hit the cool wind and began to turn black and then it stopped. New lava poured onto it, causing large cracks to form. Aer grabbed Jip's hand.

A new lava flow began to form around the now solid wall of frozen lava. "I think we've done enough." Aer said as she dragged Jip back towards Alpha. They saw the cracks widen and begin to glow red. It gave way and a large wave of magma raced towards them, almost at their heels. Aer whistled and Alpha descended from above, catching the girls as they jumped into the air and sky rocketed onto the bison's back.

"Well, this is a record." Bakiko said as he helped Jip clamor over Kan's bandaged foot. "The island itself actually forced us off this time."

"Ha ha." Kan said dryly as Alpha groaned at the poor attempt at a joke and kept flying off into the west.

Mizu walked onto the sad wreck of a ship. It did look familiar though. She noticed some of the flags inside. Golden green with a design of a canyon crawler on them. "These were the ships that attacked the north pole." Mizu pointed out. "These must be from where that general guy is from. I wonder if he's around."

* * *

Mizu began to search some of the corridors, breaking off large planks of wood as she went. An eerie fog descended over the ship as she lowered herself into the hull. It was almost submerged in water. "Must have been a nasty wreck. But where are the crew members?" Mizu searched bellow for some rations. She cracked open a large box and found what must have been the jackpot. "Ooh, enough food for a week!" She dropped her pack and began to dump the food into it, filling it to the brim. She took up her planks of wood and began to walk out of the ship. She climbed a small set of stairs onto the second level and was heading for the deck of the ship when she heard something behind her. She stopped, dropped the wood and turned around, summoning a fire whip behind her.

'Who's there?" Mizu asked the darkness. She heard the ship creak as something hit the wall in the room beside the corridor. She threw a sweeping arm across her chest and the wood moved to the side to make an opening for her to see through.

A guard fell face first into the corridor, partially wet from the sea. Mizu gave a small scream and bent down to him. He wasn't moving as far as she could see.

The odd, blue fog seeped into the corridor as the sea wind began to blow. "Hey, buddy, you awake or not?" Mizu asked as she punched the guy. She grabbed his wrist and checked his pulse. "Must be a drunk." Mizu exclaimed as she felt his heartbeat just fine. "You must be the scourge of…" Mizu flipped the guy over onto his back and stopped…and let out a spin chilling scream. She got up and backed against the wall, hand covering her mouth. A cold sweat began to form on her brow as she tried to calm herself, her eyes staring wildly at the soldier's head.

The soldier had no face.


	14. PREY OF THE FACESTEALER

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 14:**_

_**PREY OF THE FACESTEALER**_

Mizu leaned against the wall, her eyes still wide as she stared at the face-less soldier. She saw it take in a deep breath and than exhale, flopping to the side. "What in the name of…" Mizu began as she began to back up. She tripped over the pieces of wood behind her and fell to the floor. She heard the familiar clicking noise as she felt the ship rock a bit. She stared at the wall and saw four spindly legs reach out into the corridor and grab for the body. A horrible sucking sound was heard and the body was lifted though the hole in the wall and gone from view. Mizu sat on the cold decking, too afraid to move or run.

She heard the clicking sound again and saw a horrible insect like body enter the hall. It didn't even have a well defined head, merely a stump that had a row of those claw like legs around what looked like an eyelid. It turned in the hall, as if trying to sense the location of another meal. It snapped to Mizu, whose face was too distorted with fear to change expression. She heard the sucking sound again and the feelers stood straight up. Mizu screamed and stumbled to her feet. She threw her arms behind her and the wood formed a wall between her and the monster.

The legs ripped through the flimsy wall and began scratching at the water logged wood, tearing it away to get its new meal. Mizu ran towards the door that led to the deck and began to tug on it. It was bolted shut. She grabbed the lock with her hand and squeezed. The lock broke off and fell to the floor as a mashed up lump of metal. She threw open the door and ran out into the blue mist that surrounded the deck. She heard a great creak and felt the ship rock beneath her, causing her to fall to her feet. She dared a glance backwards into the door.

The wall was gone and so was the creature. It could be anywhere. Mizu resolved to be as quiet as possible as she backed up to the mast of the ship and looked towards the doors that led to the belly of the ship.

Nothing was moving, even the breeze had stopped. Mizu hugged the mast as she began to breathe heavily. "It can't be here." She said to herself, shutting her eyes as she sank to the deck. "It was only in my dreams. It can't be in the real world." She opened her eyes and checked behind her.

"But it is here." She dreadfully realized. "It was in the woods up north. It was in that Crystal Crater before the general attacked me. It was there when I was a baby. It's been here all along." She heard a faint noise and quickly whipped her head in every direction around her. Nothing. The ship was bathed in blue mist so it would have been difficult to make anything out anyway. She heard something again, this time from above.

She looked up to see a large shape, twisting down the pole towards her. It grew larger through the blue mist. It stopped a bit above visibility and began to sway above her. She stepped back as she stared up at he thing staring back at her.

The legs grabbed her feet from bellow, ripping through the deck. Mizu shrieked as the same sucking sound was heard and more legs began to grab at her as the monster thrashed its way to the deck. Mizu shot her hands downward and a jet of flame burst forth, sending her flying and the monster screaming to the depths of the ship. Mizu hit the sand hard as she got up. The ship's side broke open as the centipede like monster charged out of it, heading straight for her. An inhuman screech was heard as it reared its front half and made to get her. She gave a kick and then flick as a wave of sand flipped it over and shot it backwards into the rocks surrounding the ship.

Mizu scrambled to her feet again and began sprinting hard down the beach. She gave a burst of airbending and flew the rest of the way. She would head into the woods and hopefully lose the creature as before. She was almost inside the safety of the woods when she remembered. "My pack! It's still on the ship!" She made to go back but the water split open and the dripping wet monster caught Mizu in the chest. It made to devour her but she summoned another wave of sand to knock the creature over from beneath. She again flew down the beach with her airbending and reached the wrecked ship. She climbed the steep rocks and ran from the deck to the hall where her pack was. She bent down, grabbed it and made to run out.

The monster blocked her path again. She gave a kick and wood closed the entrance. She descended into the bowels of the ship, noticing a larger amount of water than before. "When did this get here?" she asked aloud, not expecting a response from anything. Hoping she would not get a response. She struggled through the floating boxes and jumped into the one she had emptied previously. She closed the lid as she heard another break in the wood. She heard something slither into the water and began to swim around the compartment. Mizu sat in cramped silence as she felt the box shift as the creature passed by it.

She finally heard another splash as she surmised the beast had left to continue its hunt somewhere else. She sighed and went to open the top.

It would not budge.

She kicked on it but felt something much heavier on the lid. Her heart stopped for a moment. The water had risen so high that the box's lid was closed by the roof of the room. She started banging on the dies, not caring that she was drawing attention to her location. The box flipped, causing Mizu to hit the lid and let the water seep in, sinking the box quickly and leaving Mizu with no way out.

She gave a final kick to the box and swam out into the water that had now filled the room. She made to swim out of one of the doors, but the eyelid stopped began the sucking sound again and the water began to shift towards the eyelid and its unknown contents. Mizu spun in a circle and used her water spout to fly out of a window near the ceiling of the ship. She breathed air on the surface and gave a mighty burst as she headed for land and hopefully safety.

* * *

Kizu woke up in the middle of the night again, a hot flash having come over him in his pain. A maid hurried to his side and placed a cold wrap on his forehead, cooling him down. "Thank you." Kizu sighed as he lay back down on his coach. The maid curtsied and left through the door. Kizu looked into his dying fire and thought of his brother, some ways away on the farm, doing twice the work now that he was not there. He sat there and wondered what happened to his family after he fled. What had the assassins done? Why were they after him? Where were they now and did they have his family as prisoners? Kizu pressed the wrap to his head further and closed his eyes.

The songbird sang him a quiet lullaby as he drifted off into nightmares of his family. Oma walked over to his side, the bird resting on her finger. She patted his head and took the wrap of. She placed it in a bowl of cool water for the next time he would wake up. She patted his head and walked over to her bed where she blew out her candle and went to bed, her face gazing out of the balcony widnow and the cherry blossom in a vase on her night table.

* * *

Mizu walked out of the water and collapsed on the beach. She took in deep breaths as she turned over on the sand, her pack lying on the soft bed beside her. She sat up and put her hands on her knees. She looked to the shipwreck and saw it begin to shift on the rocks. It turned its nose to the sky and fell onto the rocks, shattering on the rocks that had beached it before.

"And down went the ship, crew and all." Mizu gasped as she mockingly put a hand to her heart. "That's what you get for chasing me." Mizu gave a small chuckle and smile…and then it hit her.

The ship was from a larger fleet, probably heading towards the western coast of this large continent. It had come from where that creature had last been seen. "It _is_ following me. It stowed on a ship it knew would be trying to follow me. It was waiting for me in the wilderness at the north. It attacked the ship because it knew I was here!" She grabbed her pack and quickly fled into the woods, running through the branches. Then something else hit her.

"Why did it stop in that Crystal Crater?" She stopped dead in her tracks as she thought it over. She had seen the creature climb the crystal for her, but what after that? The arrow had chipped the crystal by her head and then she turned to see the general, then when she turned to run the monster was gone. So what had happened?

The arrow.

She stopped and began to climb a tree. She leapt from the branches and stopped inside of a large bunch of leaves, the very few left with the advances of the autumn army. Sure enough, the creature appeared, following her trail. Its eyelid was scanning the air trying to make out where she was. It turned to the left, then the right, then straight forward. It blinked and something strange happened.

A face appeared inside of the eyelid. It blinked twice then began to search the foliage closely. Its spindly legs were clicking rapidly as the face now scanned its surroundings. The face disappeared when the eyelid blinked again. A white face with grey circles now appeared.

"Come out, Mizu." The things said. "I just want to meet you. You and I go way back, don't we. You know that." The monster circled the tree and then the general area, scanning wildly for any sign of life. "I don't want to bite, not that hard. Your face belongs to me! I let your parent's faces slip by out of good faith, but you owe me much more." The monster stopped beneath her.

It was there for sure.

An arrow was sticking out of the tip of the 'head'. The arrow had richocheted off the crystal and hit the creature in the head, causing it to flee. But the arrow had never fully gotten itself out of the head, even after a week.

Mizu crouched and waved a hand. A branch began to lengthen below her, right over the monster's 'head'. She thrust her arm in and the branch lowered quickly, driving the arrow deeper into its exo-skeleton.

It shrieked and clawed at the air and began to writhe on the ground. Mizu leapt down and blasted it with a large blast of orange flame. It swiped at her with a leg, but she dodged it. The creature could not think straight with the pain of the arrow in its skull. It whipped its tail around, sending Mizu flying into a tree and falling to the ground. The white face was gone and the eyelid was back.

"Your face is mine!" came an echoed voice. It reared up the legs around its eyelid spindles flexed. It dove at her and Mizu leaned to the side. It ran full into the tree and Mizu gave a final swing with her arm, driving the arrow fully into his skull.

It gave another scream and curled into a ball on the forest floor. :Now I want some answers." Mizu screamed as she stood over the coiling monster. "Who are you? How do you know me? And why are you hunting me?"

The monster heaved a couple of times and then lay still. "Answer me!" Mizu screamed. "Who am I? What do you know?"

The monster looked at her and vanished in a flash of black smoke and blue flash. Mizu was left staring at the empty space. She fell to her knees and began to pat the grass. It had truly vanished. Then she heard the echo voice again.

"_I know who you are, but I cannot fully tell you until you know yourself. I was there in the beginning and spared your parent's faces because of the news I bore to them from the Spirits."_

"What?" Mizu scanned the trees to see if the creature had returned. "What did you tell them?"

"_That is not my job to tell. Another Spirit will tell you that, but with a terrible price. Mizu, daughter of destiny, you are a doomed person. You and I will meet again, and I will be stronger and you will pay for fighting a Spirit. Your disrespect will affect all that walk this earth. My wrath is not to be taken lightly. We will meet again, and you will pay."_

The voice faded and Mizu let her head hang low. She could only grab her pack and begin her long walk back to the beach and along the coastline, knowing full well that her next meeting with this spirit would surely be her last.


	15. THE RED WITCH

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 15:**_

_**THE RED WITCH**_

The sky was getting darker again as Alpha gave another groan and flicked his tail up. It had been four days since their last stop on the volcano island. They had made a decision to stay close to the shore as they traveled to the west. "We landing anytime soon?" Long-hin asked as he crawled over to Aer, who was starting to snooze on Alpha's head.

"I don't know." Aer said as she drowsily looked back at Long-hin. She could see that Bakiko had already fallen asleep with Ran-fo barely awake. Jip was sleeping with her head on Kan's chest, Kan paying no mind to it. She turned around. "What do you say Alpha? Feel like landing for the night?"

Alpha moaned and shook his head slowly. He began to descend through the clouds with a small groan. "Thanks, boy." Aer said as she patted him on the head.

A flaming ball came from below, nearly hitting them. Alpha reared his head and rose higher up quickly. The group was jostled. Aer threw and air shield around them as another cannon blasted. The ball was caught in the shield's rotation and hurled back down, causing a ship below to burst into flames.

"What's going on?" Bakiko asked as he looked around. "What's happening?"

Three flaming rocks now rose around them, and another barrage of six after those. Alpha shifted around again, missing the projectiles.

Zhong lowered his hand again, signaling for the next volley to fire. His eyes were scanning the sky above him. "Fire!" He shouted as the volley came late. He turned to his men as they rolled another boulder covered in sea prune juice onto a catapult. "Do I need to give another demonstration of the signals or are we going to do them right this time?" Zhong asked as he stomped around the deck.

"No, sir." The men answered, stopping to salute him as part of the new rules he made after getting back from his audience.

"Then fire if you please." Zhong fumed as he turned back to the sky. The volley was let loose into the air, and quickly returned to them. Zhong ducked to the side as the flaming rock flew towards him. It shattered into the ship. Zhong reached down and withdrew his bow and arrow from beneath the deck and took aim.

Alpha descended below the clouds as sleep began to overtake him. "I have you now." Zhong said as he knocked and arrow and drew back.

Long-hin saw this and whipped out his bow quickly and knocked his arrow. He took aim and let it fly with a burst or airbending, speeding it straight into the shaft of Zhong's bow and cutting clean through the arrow.

Zhong dropped it and narrowly avoided the collision course with the projectile. He stared up at them as Long-hin gave a mock wave. Zhong clenched his fists and stormed into his cabin, muttering un mentionable words beneath his breath. He slammed the door shut and the ship rocked violently as men continued to try to put out the fires that had grown on the ship.

Technicians were already laying new planks on the bottom of the ship to try and close the hole the rock had made from smashing through the puny ship. The Captain stood on deck, yelling out orders on how to go about repairing the ship's damage. A soldier walked up to him, throwing a bucket of salt water onto the blaze.

"I think we can handle this sir. But just in case, there is another one of our fleet not too far behind us." The soldier turned and saluted to the Captain.

"Yes I know, but spirits forbid Zhong's ship be the one to take damage." The Captain said quietly to him. "He's been awfully wound up since he got back from his audience with the Master."

"Yeah, we've noticed." The soldier said as the ship rocked from Zhong's pounding. "Wonder how it went?"

"Who's wondering. It must have been bad. Notice how the General is starting to sink into…I don't know, mental instability?"

"What do you mean by that? I think he's as mad as ever."

The Captain checked around himself to make sure no one else was listening. "Ever see the General just standing on the deck. Looking into the sky? He paces more now and his hands twitch and he starts to sweat whenever we talk about plans for the benders. He's losing it, I think. I think the Master got to him."

"And something tells me, it's going to hurt us more than him." The soldier said as he looked warily towards Zhong's cabin.

Alpha landed down in a hill area somewhere in shore now, to avoid the general and his fleet at all costs. "I guess this is where we're stopping." Aer said as she looked around her. She turned to Long-hin, who was struggling to tie his bow back onto his pack. "Thanks for that cover back there." Aer said.

"Don't mention it." Long-hin said as he jumped down.

"And I thought you were just the guy with the lame jokes." Bakiko said as he sat down on a rock and tried to stretch out his back.

"Nope, just lame jokes and courage." Long-hin said as he pounded his chest.

"Courage? You call that courage?" Kan said as he turned abruptly to Long-hin. "If you really had courage, you would have jumped down onto that ship and fought the guy face to face. You just made a lucky shot."

"Lucky? That had a lot of Aer's little bending in it!" Long-hin said as he pointed to Aer as if accusing her of something. "I used my bending. Blame your little _girlfriend_ for the 'lack of courage'."

"Hey! I didn't say that it was bad. I'm glad you used airbending, even if it was for violent reasons." Aer said as she jumped off of Alpha's head. "And I didn't make it. I learned it from the bison." Alpha gave a large groan and licked Aer. "Anything _I_ did was from them."

Long-hin walked away from Kan. "See, take any of your problems up with the five ton animal if you really want to." Kan groaned and walked away in a huff and small burst of fire. "Okay, that's six times you've burnt my blanket!" Long-hin called as he jumped out from under his blanket and tried to put out the flames. Kan left with a small smirk on his face.

Jip walked over to Aer. "So, are we going to be on our way soon?" Jip asked as she hugged her doll. Aer smiled.

"Not for a while. Just give everyone some time to rest before we start jetting away. Aren't you tired?" Aer asked as she looked her over. She opened the food sack and gave the last apple to Alpha. He grabbed it in his tongue and ate it.

"I am tired, but I'm just thinking of the guys that attacked us. I just don't want to be attacked by them again is all."

"Oh, Jip. We're inland enough to avoid them." Aer gave a small laugh as Jip turned around. "But I'll be sound-bending just in case."

Jip gave her a small nod as she walked over to her mat and went to sleep. She looked at the picture of her parents before finally falling into sweet dreams. Aer looked around at the sleeping pack and got to her feet. She walked over to Kan, she knew he wouldn't be fast asleep yet.

"Hey, Kan." She bent down and shook him gently. He turned to her quickly.

"What is it?" he asked.

"We're almost out of food. Could you use that energybending thing where you sense the location?"

"What happened to your precious sound-bending?" Kan asked as he sat up and turned to her. She gave a small look to him. "Sorry. Why do you need to know?"

"I want to know if there's a town or something around where we can get food."

"Okay, but only because I want breakfast tomorrow." Kan bent down and touched the ground with the palm of his hand. He lifted it up and then slammed it down while sliding his left legs forward slightly.

He closed his eyes and listened to the energy. "There is one. A little ways…" Kan closed his eyes tighter and lifted a finger into the air. "that way." Kan flicked it down towards the west.

"Thanks." Aer said as she checked a small pouch on her person and got up and started walking. Kan watched her leave.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kan asked. "It's the middle of the night. No one is going to be selling anything. Aren't you supposed to be the smart one of this little group?"

"I know no one will be up, Kan." Aer said back to him. "I just need to go and get us some food. I have enough money. I'll leave some for them when they get up."

"Well, then I'm coming." Kan said as he grabbed his dagger and ran to Aer's side. She stopped in her tracks.

"What?" Aer asked.

"I'm coming. An airbender like yourself is going to need protection."

"Just because I am sticking to airbending does not mean that I'm pathetic!" Aer shot at him.

"You're right. It only makes you a little more inept." Kan said as he strolled past her. "This way." He shouted to her. Aer rolled her eyes and sighed. She turned to Alpha.

"I'm going. You're in charge." She said as she walked away. Alpha moaned and licked his lips and lowered his eyelids.

They reached the town when the moon was full in the sky above. Kan picked a lock and opened a store. There were barrels and barrels of food. "There, get what you need." Aer walked past him with the sack and began to riffle through the goods. "What is it?" Kan asked. "I thought this would be quick."

"I'm just making sure that I can afford all of this." Aer said as she compared two heads of lettuce. Kan smacked his head.

"Aer, we just broke into the place." Kan said angrily. "I don't think, hey they didn't pay the right amount is going to be the first thing on their minds."

Aer shot him a look and picked the one in her left hand and added it to the bag. Kan stole away to a back side of the store, where a giant block of ice was resting.

A red flash illuminated the shop from the shuttered window. Aer stopped and ran to the window. "What do you suppose…?" she began as she pulled aside one of the wooden flats. A red, glowing figure was floating in the middle of the street. It wore a wide brimmed hat and had a glistening red cloak draped around her. She was gliding above the street, not moving an inch of her body.

A feral cat stopped ead in its tracks and sprinted into a dark alley nearby. "Kan, I think we should go." Aer said as she stood at the window. The figure had stopped and her head began to move upwards. It looked left, right, and then did a 360. Its head stopped at the shop and the face turned into a wicked grin. It gave a shriek and flew at the shop. "Kan, hide!" Aer shouted as she ran away from the window. She grabbed Kan and looked around, there was nowhere to go. The red glow grew and Aer looked esperately at a crate. It was full of food, which she began to toss out as fast as she could. She heard a fire ignite somewhere behind her.

"Kan, I don't think you can fight a spirit." Aer said without looking back to see Kan's fire fist. "This is ridiculous." Aer said. She gave a heave with her arms and spun around. She thrust out and airbending lifted the vegetables into the air and scattering around the shop.

"What are you doing?" Kan asked as he was hit with a watermelon and a small peach.

"Trying to hide." Aer said as she ran over to him. The shop was now completely red. "Come on. We got to…" The door burst off of its hinges in an array of red sparks. The Red Witch glided in and did another head spin. Her gleeful smile faded.

The shop was empty save for the large amount of food lying smashed on the ground. She turned to the crate. She blinked and saw a trail of energy leading into it. She lifted a finger and muttered some odd language under her breath. The crate exploded and the energy reading faded. But there were no body parts.

The kids must be here somewhere. "No one trespasses in my town." The Witch cried. She gave a burst of red energy and flew from the shop to scour the village over.

Aer and Kan reappeared in the corner of the room, near the block of ice. Kan took deep breaths as he leaned on the ice block. "What was that?" he asked as he turned to Aer. "We were in plain sight! Luck must be on our side." Kan said as he straightened up.

"Not luck, bending." Aer reprimanded him.

"Huh?" Kan asked. "What bending?"

"Air bending." Aer told him. "A new technique I made. It's kind of like sound-bending." She made another quick look outside and then conjured a small whirlwind of air near her ear. Kan noticed a ripple move through the night in the street.

"She's pretty far away. We can probably run for it." Aer remarked as she slung the bag over her shoulder and moved out the door. She did a look to her right and then ran to her left. Kan followed close behind.

"So we're just going to run away?" Kan asked Aer as they sped towards the gate at the end of the village.

"Yes. I don't know about you, but I don't feel like angering a Spirit, especially one that blows things up by pointing a finger."

"Come on! I can do that too." Kan said. He pointed a finger to a nearby tree to demonstrate. He flicked a finger and the tree burst into flames. "See? Not that hard."

"Put it out before she sees." Aer hissed as she turned around. Kan bent a water ball onto the blazing tree and doused the flames. The familiar red glow began to grow as the Witch appeared at the end of the street.

"Ha! I have found the intruders." She said as she gave another high pitched laugh. Aer bent a shield around them and dragged Kan away.

"Just let me fight for once." Kan pleaded as Aer pulled him away from the conflict.

"It's a spirit! Haven't you caught on yet?" Aer asked as she turned back to him. She sped down the street and reached the gate. A red wall flew up in front of them, preventing their escape.

"I don't take kindly to those that enter my village without my permission. I rule this town with an iron fist. All those that live here obey by my rules and do whatever I command. If you enter here, you must follow the same protocol." The Red Witch cackled and threw a long whip of red sparks at them.

Kan threw an earth wall up in front of them. "No offense, but why is she all uptight about making sure we don't leave?" Kan asked. "I told you not to steal any of the food." Aer's mouth dropped.

"You picked the lock! I also left the right amount of money for it. _I_ didn't do anything!" Aer walked up close to Kan and punched jabbed him in the chest.

"Yeah, well she thinks differently." Kan said as he nodded towards the Witch, who was throwing something at the wall Kan was maintaining.

"I think it has something to do with the town." Aer said as she scratched her head. "Her power must come from her control of the town. If people were to leave against her will, it might give her powers as small decrease." Aer surmised out loud.

"Great, so we leave the city and we get to live free." Kan said. The wall shattered and Kan threw up another one. "Now how do we escape? She's blocked the exit."

Aer grabbed Kan's shirt and made a motion for him to be quiet. "Just let the wall fall. I'll take it from there."

The wall fell and the Red Witch flew forward. "Now, you too shall fall under my spell. You…"

There was no one there. She did a 360 with her head and scanned the area. "They cannot have escaped." The Witch guessed. She blinked and tried to summon an energy reading from the two people. There was none.

She heard something moving from beyond the gate. "No! It cannot be!" She lowered her red wall and looked out into the night.

A rabb-a-roo hopped by and stopped to stare at the Witch. It twitched its nose slightly and then hopped away. The Witch turned around and saw something ove in the shadows. She flew closer.

A large blast of air sent her flying into the wall of a house. She rose up and cast down an even brighter glow of red. She was flicked further down the street and slammed into a barrel of water.

Aer and Kan reappeared and sprinted out of the gate and into the woods. The village instantly lit up in a large ball of red light. The Witch was screaming, her power fading. "Just keep running." Kan said to Aer. They made it back to camp and bent over, wheezing from the long run.

"Thanks for coming with me." Aer said as she turned to Kan.

"Don't mention it. You'd have been dead back there if it wasn't for me." Kan said.

"Yeah, but next time, try not to throw the villains into barrels of water. I doubt they'll melt." Aer said as she turned back to the sleeping group.

"Wait. What was it you did back there?" Kan asked her.

"What?"

"That thing you said. Why the Red Witch couldn't see us."

"Oh, that thing." Aer made sure no one else was around as she walked back to Kan. "It's a new sub group of Air-bending I invented."

"I thought sound-bending was." Kan said.

"That's just an expansion of air-bending, not a sub-group. No.

It's Pigment Bending."

"What bending?" Kan asked as he cleared his ears.

"Pigment bending. I take the pigments in the air and bend them to whatever I want. I bent the pigments to make us invisible to her."

"You made that?" Kan asked skeptically.

"Yes, just another way to avoid the fight." Aer walked away, her hair flowing in the wind. Kan walked closely behind her, shaking his head at her peaceful ways.

"Another way to avoid death."


	16. THE SPIRITS

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 16:**_

_**THE SPIRITS**_

The rocky landscape made it difficult for anything to live there. Plants died from lack of nourishment and no animals could with stand the harsh winds that blew across this barren land. It was a small island off the main shore of the volcanic continent. It was always clouded in a thick mist that no one could penetrate. This is where the spirits gathered this night.

They came from all corners of the earth. There were big ones, small ones, ones who ruled over the rivers and ocean and others who tamed forests and deserts. Many had elemental powers while others had none but the intimidation factor. They all shared one thing though.

"We must do something of these benders that are infringing upon our rights and duties as spirits of this world." was the shout that all of the spirits gave.

"They walk as if they are better than us. Did none hear of the incident with the Red Witch? They are shameless beings with no morals for the laws we constitute over our territory."

"They give up faith in us. Believe that we are no longer needed to help them. Look at Mizu. Koh himself destined her fate and Tui and La watched over her. She has turned her back on us. She must pay."

"Did we not deliver her from the Unagi at the North Pole?"

"Did we not cause the assassins hearts to feign as they searched for the earth boy?"

"Did we not help the mountain children to understand the way off the mountain?"

"We cannot take full credit for that. The Aer child thought it out herself."

"But if we had not put this idea of _airbending_ on earth than she would not have had an inkling to do so."

The spirits fought back and forth, some for the benders, others against, and others that stayed in the middle and were swayed by the tide of debate.

* * *

Mizu was walking solemnly along the shore. What had the thing meant?

"_I know who you are, but I cannot fully tell you until you know yourself."_

What did he know, and why would he tell her only after she found it out herself. It made no sense. "There must be something else I'm missing." Mizu whispered to herself as she kicked up the sand.

"_Mizu, daughter of destiny, you are a doomed person."_

Another cryptic message to add to her thoughts. "What does he know?" Mizu asked no one in particular. She jumped over a large block of wood and kept walking. She looked up from the sand beneath her feet and saw the land end. It was a peninsula. She set her pack down and lay down in the sand. And tall grass around her.

"I guess I'll spend the night here." Mizu said as she lay back and look at the stars. "What do they have planned for me?"

* * *

Kizu had returned to full health. The maids were removing the bandages to reveal the deep and soft scar beneath the mess of wraps. He rolled his arm around like a windmill and flexed his arm to try and get back into the swing of normal functions. "Much better." He said happily.

He bowed his head to the servants and then turned to Oma, who was resting on her balcony. He walked out of the curtain to see her. "Thank you for saving me." Kizu said to her. She turned to him and smiled.

"It was my duty." Oma said as she gave a small curtsy. "You are an acquaintance of mine. You may stay here and rest for a couple of days. At least until you feel comfortable enough with your arm."

"I'd like that." Kizu said, silently withholding the fact that he had no job. This would be the only place he could get food now.

"And it would be a pleasure to have you." Oma patted his head and Kizu walked back inside as the maids wheeled in breakfast on a white cart. Kizu sat down at the small table in the corner to eat, but Oma did not leave her perch, her eyes too occupied with the man glancing back at her.

* * *

Zhong walked out onto the deck of his ship, his hands shaking and eyes darting every which way. He scanned the sky and walked over to lean on the railing. "General, is everything all right?" one of his subordinates asked.

"Yes, everything is fine." Zhong said with a small gruff voice. "But what I want to know is why you aren't at your post!" Zhong flared up at him and the soldier ran away with his tail between his legs. The Captain shook his head. He turned to one of the soldiers.

"He is off." The Captain said as he sat down, hoping to avoid Zhong at all costs. "I don't think he can take much more of the suspense."

"Suspense of what?" the soldier asked as he polished his sword.

"The suspense if knowing the Master approved his request or not." The Captain stated. "That's why he's so anxious. The Master probably said something to make Zhong fear for his position or life, or both."

"Captain!" Zhong roared. The Captain winced when he heard himself called. He composed himself and walked to where Zhong stood on the deck below.

"What is it, General?" the Captain said with a bow.

"Have we got any information on where those kids are?" Zhong asked.

"None as of yet, but we had tracked them down to going along the coasts of these islands. They won't be too far inland."

"Tracked? How can you track something and not know here they are!" Zhong roared at him.

"Well…not tracked per say. More like prediction."

"Well, that's entirely different now, is it?" Zhong made a harsh motion in the air. The Captain recoiled and fled back to the steering platform.

"Like I said, he's losing it." The Captain said. Zhong began to pace the deck, his hands sweating and eyes darting everywhere. The Captain heard something faintly come out of his mouth.

"Mother…father…must have revenge. But…benders…are evil…I'm not."

Zhong retreated to his cabin quickly. The Captain heard a drink being poured into a glass and thought nothing else of Zhong.

"He's taken up drinking then." The Captain said as he walked back to the soldier. The Spirits knew what Zhong was up to. They knew his soul…and it wasn't drinking.

* * *

"There is also the case of Oma and Shu." The conversation between the spirits continued. "Their love is yet decided."

"A pair of love sick lovers from two rival cities, and not just any cities. The most influential and powerful cities in the world."

"Yes, their story has yet to have an ending. But like that cherry-blossom tree his mother planted on the top of that mountain, I do believe their love should bloom, against all odds."

"But you know the other fate of the cherry-blossom?"

"I'm sure he does, as we all do."

"Then theirs is now fated. Now we must redirect our attention to these benders once again."

"And again we will have to divert away from it."

"Why should we? They are why we called this gathering of Spirits for. We should decide how to battle them."

"Take them down a peg."

"But as powerful as we are, destiny still has the final say."

This was true. All of the spirits stopped their chatter and looked to one another. Fate was what brought them here and it is destiny that continues to guide them. The Spirits grumbled and began to depart, their affairs against the benders left unresolved and all other choices they had made just as insignificant. Fate had the final say, they knew that.

* * *

Shu did not appear on the mountain that day. In a small panic, Oma fled her mansion and took to the mountain. It was nearly night and no one had seen her leave. She reached the peak and stopped. Two cherry blossom trees had grown in this place, their buds now beautiful and rare flowers. The branches sagged from the lanterns hing in them, lit with a flickering candle and warm feeling. The bench had a single pink rose lying on it. Oma walked over to the bench and took the rose in her hand. She sat down on the bench as the stars began to winkle and the full moon rose.

She wrapped her shawl around her and looked around. A hand extended to her. She looked up into the face of the owner.

"Shall we dance?" Shu asked as Oma took his hand. From somewhere, sweet music began to play a light waltz for them. Shu took Oma in his arms and they began to twirl around the mountain top oasis. The songbird added his lyrics to the piece, singing out into the two towns on either side.

And Oma and Shu danced.


	17. THE RUNAWAYS

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 17:**_

_**THE RUNAWAYS**_

The group of kids was stopped, staring intently at the mysterious creature that was sitting in front of them. It looked like a fox, but the markings were white and it was brown and looked slightly like a coyote. A scroll was sitting in its mouth. "Someone poke it." Long-hin joked as he tapped Kan on the back.

"What?" Kan asked back at him.

"Well, you're the one always wound up for a fight." Long-hin stated. "You go at it." He used a small bit of earthbending to push Kan forward. Kan retaliated with a large burst of air, sending Long-hin reeling onto his back.

The fox dropped the scroll from its mouth and it unrolled in front of him.

"Look." Jip said as she pointed to the scroll. Ran-fo leaned in closer to see what was happening.

_The Runaways_

The ink finished this first stroke and stopped, a line appearing under the title. The fox- coyote thing had appeared out of nowhere in their camp. Alpha even refused to confront it. The coyote nodded it head to the kids.

"I think he wants us to talk." Aer deduced as the fox's ears perked up. She moved closer to it and leaned towards the small fox. "What do you want me to say?" Aer asked.

The scroll answered her question again.

_It all began…_

"Of course." Aer said as she shut her eyes and took a deep breath. "It all began three years ago…"

* * *

Aer was walking towards school, a young girl of thirteen. She had her books tucked under her arm and a skip in her step. She walked along with the other girls of her posse. They entered the wooden abode that served as a school, twenty small desks with pads to sit on lined her classroom. She was scholarly, always on top of things, as she is now. But it was then that she saw the person to change her the most. On her way home from school she saw the boy sitting on a ledge outside of the school. "I haven't seen you around here." Aer said as she walked over to the boy. "What's your name?"

"Kan. Kan Benda." The boy replied as he turned to her. He then spun around and proceeded to ignore her.

"Well, hello, Kan." Aer said as she tried to make small talk. " Why haven't I seen you around here before?"

"'Cause I'm not around here." Kan quickly replied. Aer was slightly taken aback.

"Well, I'm leaving."

"Good."

"You would rather be alone?"

"Yes."

Aer shrugged her shoulders and left for her home, books tucked under he arm once again and no mind on what would become of the boy.

Kan was the governor's son. Primped and polished to look his best every day. He was made to sit through boring meetings and public visits to help his father keep office. He was fifteen when he met Aer. He had run away from home and was sitting on a ledge outside of the school. He just wanted to be alone. All his life he had felt different, like no one understood what he felt inside of him. A powerful energy that was waiting to consume him.

Aer came and went. He was glad. He had more time to think by himself now. Nothing to worry about, until the other visitor poked her head around a tree some where off. She was an eight year old girl with a stuffed rabb-a-roo. She had short black hair and wide grey eyes that peered at him.

"What do you want?" Kan asked the girl as she gave a squeak and fled back behind the tree. "Well, what do you have to say?"

The girl poked her head around and stared at him again. "I just wanted to know why you are here. That's all." The girl managed to call out. "I've never seen a guy like you before."

"Yeah, well then it's your lucky day." The girl gave a small laugh. Kan rolled his eyes. "Now go away and leave me alone."

"You didn't push Aer away that fast." The girl said.

"Who?" Kan asked as he straightened up. The girl ducked a little further behind her tree cover.

"Aer. The girl you were just talking to. You kept her around for a bit."

"Aer? What kind of name is that?" Kan asked. "Besides, how do you know her?"

"She's my cousin. We're very close." Jip replied as she walked out from behind the tree, her stuffed animal held firmly between her arms.

"Oh, so you know all about her." Kan stated.

"Not really. We just see each other every day. We're both only children. We've got no one else. At least she has a lot of friends."

"Well, then that's a relief for both of your parents." Kan turned away from her, no longer wishing to hold this conversation. Jip gave a squeak and left. Long-hin, Bakiko, and Ran-fo would fall into the story later.

* * *

"I didn't know you were cousins. I thought you were just really close friends." Bakiko said as he stared at Jip and Aer.

"No, cousins." Aer replied.

"We are close, as family." Jip said. "I look up to her is all."

"And you find that all right?" Bakiko asked.

"I don't think it really matters who Jip chooses as her role model." Long-hin said.

"That's a lot coming from an ex-lover." Kan snapped.

"Kan, leave it alone." Aer said.

The knowledge spirit nodded its head again, asking for more of the story that was coming together. The ink had stopped on the page where Kan had left off.

"I'll continue." Long-hin said as he airbent Kan out of the way.

* * *

Long-hin was thirteen, a couple of months older than Aer. He had had a crush on Aer ever since he first saw her. He used to send her notes in class and try to make small talk at lunch break. Aer had never really given the idea of dating Long-hin much thought. He asked her to get togethers and dances, but Aer refused all of his advances. "Just one date." Long-hin pleaded with Aer as she sat at her desk, trying to keep everything in a neat order.

"Maybe." Aer always responded.

"You always say that."

"So?"

"So, will you go out with me or not?"

"Maybe."

Long-hin face-palmed himself and left. Her friend automatically rushed over to her.

" So, what did he ask you?" The blonde one asked.

"He asked me to go out with him." Aer responded as she finished arranging her quills from largest to shortest.

"And? What did you say?" another one asked.

"I said 'maybe'." Aer responded.

"Again? The poor thing must be getting tired of rejection." The blonde one said again.

"Yeah, it is totally giving him a bad aura. I can tell." One with long brown pigtails said.

"I doubt that." Aer said.

"You know, if you don't want him. I'll have him." A girl with black hair said.

"Then take him." Aer said. The girl snapped her fingers.

"The jealousy route always works."

"But not on Aer."

"She's different."

* * *

"No wonder lazy boy couldn't get you." Kan said triumphantly as he tried to wrap his arm around Aer. She pushed him off. Long-hin glared at him.

"Yeah, but if you weren't there, she'd be mine."

"I'm not some gift you can wrap." Aer said as she shot a look at Long-hin.

"That's why you're different."

* * *

Aer's mother died of disease a couple of weeks later. She fell into a deep length of depression. Jip tried to comfort her, but she was only good for a hug or two. He friends did not know how to console her. "Everything's going to be all right." Long-hin would say to her whenever she would start to well up.

"And how would you know?" Aer would respond and then walk away. She was in no mood to deal with Long-hin's advances.

"I'm just trying to be a shoulder to cry on here." Long-hin said as he jumped up and blocked Aer from leaving the room. "You're my girl and I don't want to see you go away with all this emotion bottled up."

"I'm not any one's girl." Aer said as she tried to shove past her.

"Hey, don't be like that." Long-hin said as he grabbed her and dragged her back to the table.

"Let go of me, Long-hin." Aer scolded. Long-hin struggled to get the chain undone before holding his crystal up in front of her.

"What is this?" he asked her. Aer stared at it.

"A crystal I found when we were up hiking a couple of days ago." Aer said.

"Yeah. You gave it to me so we could remember the _date_." Long-hin pointed out.

"Shut up and leave." Aer said as she stood up. "You're a skunk-pig!"

Long-hin shot up and glared at her. "You just walk in here whenever you want and treat my mother's death like some way to get me into your arms! Leave!" Aer turned on her heel and left through another door, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

She walked out into town and began to walk a ways away from the village. She knelt down at her mother's grave set into the hill-side. She wept over it until she heard a twig crunch behind her.

"I said go away, Long-hin!" Aer said as she she turned around.

"I don't know who he is, but you must really hate him." Kan said as he backed up to give Aer some space.

"Oh, it's you." Aer realized. "Well, go away. I don't want to talk to anyone right now." She turned back to the grave marker and began to wipe her eyes.

"I know how you feel." Kan said as he hung his head. "It's good to be alone sometimes."

"Yes. It is."

"I feel that way everyday."

"You don't seem it now. You seem quite all right with talking right now." Kan turned to her.

"I only seem this way when I'm around you." Aer perked up and turned around to Kan.

"We've only met once."

"Yeah, but I didn't mind it as much as I usually mind talking to people. You make me feel different."

Aer gave a small smile and quickly turned around. Kan looked away again.

"I'm going up into the mountains. Tonight."

"You're what?"

Kan looked down to the hard earth.

"I'm leaving. I can't take this life anymore. Living with all these rules and structure. I need to be free. I want you to come with me. What do you say?"

Aer's face was in complete shock. "We can't do that. Our parents…"

"Your mother is no longer here…pardon my brashness."

"Okay…but how will we live up there?"

"Do you know how to cook?"

"Yes, but…"

"Than there we go. We'll go home and get supplies. I can hunt and you cook and there won't be anything to clean."

"Kan, we can't…"Aer started as Kan bent down to her. "Our families, especially mine. I don't know about yours. But I am assuming that…"

Kan kissed her.

Aer's eyes fluttered shut and she fell into the moment. He was someone to lean on and someone to lean on her. This was it.

Kan pulled out of it. "Bring friends if you really want."

Aer was still in awe with the kiss. Kan smiled.

"I'll meet you tonight."

Bakiko and Ran-Fo were orphans. No one cared what happened to them. Bakiko had taken to caring for Ran-Fo for most of his life. It was Ran-Fo, however, that roped him into this entire plot. He had made friends with Jip. She was a couple of weeks older than him and he saw every day going to school. Jip had stopped to give him food from the lunch room everyday. It was autumn so it was cold.

"Come home with me." Jip said one day. "I can keep you warm."

Ran-Fo was expressionless. He didn't talk so his body movements gave away his intentions. He instead grabbed her sleeve and dragged her to where his brother was trying to beg.

"Please, any food for us? I have a younger brother. He doesn't even speak. Please. From the kindness of your heart. I…it is getting…cold. I…we just… would it kill you to not eat in front of me?" Bakiko threw his small wooden cup at a guy and then scrambled to retrieve it and take up his begging again.

Ran-Fo went up behind him and tugged on his brother. He turned around to see Jip there.

"What did he take this time?" he asked.

"Nothing. I just wanted to know if you wanted to come to my house tonight. It is getting cold." She squeaked as she seemed to shrink in fright.

Bakiko didn't give it much thought. "Sure, where do we sleep?"

Aer tried to be as quiet as she could as she snuck out of her home. She shared it with her cousins now that her family had fallen on hard times. Jip had even brought some hobos to dinner.

* * *

"You thought we were hobos?" Bakiko asked Aer as the ink continued to write.

"Shut up, we're almost done." Aer shot back. Kan and Long-hin were locked in a heated stare down.

* * *

Aer had almost reached the door when she heard a plank squeak behind her. She stopped and turned. Jip was standing there with Bakiko and Ran-Fo behind her. "Where are you going?" Aer asked as she saw the packs on their backs.

"Wherever you're going." Jip responded.

"And them?" Aer tried to catch Jip.

"They're coming too." Jip said.

"We don't have anywhere to go and only got a few pieces of clothing. We won't be much trouble." Bakiko said. "Besides, anywhere is better than beggin in some dingy alley."

"And Jip should stay here." Aer pointed out.

"No." Jip said.

"Yes, you should." Aer tried to state. "You have to stay here. What would our family do if they lost you too?"

"We just lost an aunt, your mom." Jip pointed out. "Our family can handle anything. And…I'll miss you. I don't want to leave you." Aer hugged her and then grabbed her hand.

"Okay, but you're staying very close to me." Aer patted her on the shoulder and heaved open her door.

She almost tripped over Long-hin, who was hunched over his pack, making sure he had everything.

"What are you doing here?" Aer asked impatiently.

"I thought you might need some protection." Long-hin said. "Never can trust a stranger."

"And what are you?" Aer asked as she led Jip and the two brothers behind her towards the meeting spot.

"I'm just a concerned person. I only want what's best for you."

"You've been stalking me ever since I turned you away this morning." Aer deduced.

"That's not the point." Long-hin said quickly as he struggled to keep up with Aer's pace. "Why are you even going anyway?"

"Why? Because I don't want this life anymore." Jip was basically being dragged behind Aer as she sped up. "I don't want the posses or the hours sitting at a table, or any of it. Not even the creepy lovers." Aer shrugged past Long-hin as she turned towards the tree, where Kan was crouched under. Long-hin and Kan had been enemies ever since.

* * *

"And that's when we went to the mountains and found this secret path up. We were there for three years…until this." Aer finished.

The ink stopped and the scroll rolled itself up. The knowledge spirit barked its thanks as it took the scroll in its mouth and made off to where its master waited for this new information. They all sat there in stony silence.

Bakiko got up first and brought Ran-Fo over to where they slept, nothing better than the dingy alley they had started in.

Jip was next, going to pick up the picture of her family as she remembered how quickly she had left them.

Kan finished his stare down with Long-hin and walked over to Aer, where he tried to put his arm around Aer. She pushed him off and continued to stare at the same patch of shrugged and left to his mat.

Long-hin sat for a couple more minutes. "You have no feelings still?"

Aer lowered her head. That was all Long-hin needed. He ripped the crystal off his shoulder and held it in his hands.

"I wore this, hoping one day you would love me again." Long-hin clenched his fist and threw it on the ground in front of Aer. He got up and left quickly towards the other side of camp.

Aer sat there for the entire night.

She cried.


	18. THE FINAL PLAN

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 18:**_

_**THE FINAL PLAN**_

The gates were breached and the house being upturned. Maids ran screaming behind curtains and doors as the assassins stormed the governor's house. Guards tried fruitlessly to stop them but were quickly disposed of. "You have no right to invade my home!" The governor shouted as he ran up to one of the men in black hoods. "I am the governor. I have power here. Leave now or I will be forced to…"

He was seized by the throat and hoisted up to eye level with the assassin. "You have no more right then I do." He said in a raspy voice. "I'm on official business. Here."

"No seedy dealings of yours could possibly be legal here." The man clenched tighter on the windpipe of the old man.

"Only when I'm getting paid by the Master." He replied. He dropped the man to the floor. Another assassin ran into the dining room and began throwing the good china on the floor, pounding on the back of the china cabinet to see if there was a hidden entrance.\ "And you're going to tell me something." The man bent down to the governor, who was massaging his throat. The assassin grabbed his by the scruff of the neck and heaved him close to his pale face. He lowered his hood and two maids could be heard fainting in the doorway.

He was missing half of his face, covered with a thin layer of red burlap. His one eye was blood shot and he had only ten teeth in his gross cut of mouth. "You had a guest here. One that we were hunting. We've given you more then enough time to work him back to health."

"I don't know…what you're talking about." The governor blurted out.

"Yes, you do. Now, where is Kizu?"

Oma's door was broken off its hinges as the assassins swarmed the room, upturning all that was in there, searching the walls for any sign of a concealed entrance. Oma rose from her bed and ran to corner where the men over turned her table. "What are you doing?" Oma asked as she tried to catch her jewelry.

"Where is he?" the assassin asked. "Where is Kizu?"

"I do not know of whom you speak." Oma said. Some guards ran to her aide, blocking the assassin's path to her.

"Do not lie. It was you that dragged his body inside when we pawed at the gate for him. Where is he now?"

"I did not know that was the boy's name." Oma lied. "But I am afraid he is not here. He left some time ago."

"Impossible." One of the assassins shouted. "We've been watching this house for some time. The only one that ever comes here is that man. He's the only one you go to visit either."

Oma became cold as she wrapped a blanket around her tighter. One of the assassins shouted. "We've been watching this house for some time. The only one that ever comes here is that man. He's the only one you go to visit as well."

Oma became cold as she wrapped the blanket around her tighter. "I don't know what you speak of. The only thing I know for certain is that Kizu is no longer here."

They gave a shriek and left in a huff. They mounted their eel-hounds and tore through the streets of Pathigo, screeching and screaming for the boy.

Kizu was safely settled into a carriage, having traveled for two days on the road into the east. His carriage bumped over large pot -holes and shook in the heavy winds. He was equipped with some food for him and the coachman and whatever he had in his pack.

He was a good while away from Pathigo when the assassins had finally gone to get their prize.

It was also the final week of autumn. Winter was coming soon.

Zhong stood on the bow of the ship, one arm wrapped firmly around the railing as he leaned almost sleepily over the edge. "I'm telling you, he won't last much longer under these conditions." The Captain said as he noted Zhong's quickly dissolving mentality. He now walked the deck in an almost slumber like walk. His eyes were blank and hands gloved in weird soft, grey fabric. His feet were always bound in tight boots and he had a blanket wrapped around his shoulder in place of a cape. His armor was dingy, with smudge marks on it from when he would toss them randomly around the room.

"You have to admit, the Master is taking his won sweet time in writing back to Zhong." The first mate said. "I think he's trying to punish Zhong."

Zhong had now slipped onto the deck, tears starting to fall from his face as he raised his shaking hands to his face. He began to count the fingers on his right hand. "One…two…three…four…five bad little fingers. You spread evil you do. You are responsible. You killed mommy and dad. You…" Zhong grabbed a broom and made to cut the fingers off, forgetting a broom cannot cut in his delusions.

"And now he's gone almost suicidal." The Captain said as he stared own at the General who was now rolling on the deck in a mass of tears. "How the mighty have fallen."

That's when the message finally came.

The hawk did not even stop for payment as it dropped the note and took back to the skies. Zhong rolled over it in his desperation. He sniffled and stopped the floodgates. He grabbed the parchment and sat up. The tears continued to fall from his puffy eyes as he peered over the text. He gave a small wail and fall backwards and resumed rolling around on the deck, tears flooding the deck. He stopped and closed his eyes in the pain. His laughs were side splitting, causing a chill to pass through his men whom were strangers to the noise.

The Captain rushed to Zhong as he got up and the tears continued to stream down his face. He looked over the note again and then turned to the Captain, a smile stretched across his face. "Set course back to the mainland. I have my army."

Mizu walked down the long stretch of beach, reaching the end of the mainland within a couple of minutes. She made sure her pack was safely secured as she made a large motion with her arms and jumped into the water. She hovered over it for a moment and was quickly gliding along the surface, causing a ripple to follow behind her flight path. When she grew tired of her flight she formed a small platform of ice and set about resting on it. She was safe that was certain. No ships were in sight and that monster with the strange eyelid could not swim. She closed her eyes and went to sleep, drifting off into fate.

Alpha was growing tired as they soared through the air. No one had spoken in the few days since the knowledge spirit's visit. Aer was again at the head of the bison and Kan sat in the back, away from everyone else. Jip was snuggled uncomfortably between Ran-Fo and Long-hin. Bakiko kept his pessimistic nature as always and refused to believe that their situation would improve. "How can an airhead like you lose them?" Bakiko exclaimed at Aer.

"Well, They aren't within range and I cannot hear them if I don't know exactly where they are." Aer stated as she tried to reason how they had lost contact with the fleet below.

"Maybe they've decided to give up the chase and are going to leave us alone." Jip said happily.

"And then we'll all sit down and have tea." Bakiko said. He made a fart noise and rolled his eyes.

"I agree with sour puss." Long-hin said. He and Aer refused to look at each other.

"Either way, we have to go somewhere." Aer pointed out. Alpha groaned in reply. "We need to rest."

"There's an island up ahead." Kan said as he made a small reference to his energy bending abilities.

"Thanks for that." Aer responded.

"You're going to thank your boyfriend for common knowledge." Long-hin quipped, his humor subsiding.

"Long-hin, can we talk about this later?" Aer asked desperately. She turned to him. The humor was dying in his eyes. He knew that his chances had been officially thwarted that night. He knew Kan had won her. They soared through the air towards the mysterious mountain island where they hoped to find shelter.

Kizu's carriage reached the end of the road, literally. The road stopped at the end of a small hill, which descended to a beach. "I'm sorry, master Kizu, but this is as far as I dare go." The coachman said as he divided the food among them and gave some to Kizu along with his pack.

"Thank you, sir." Kizu said as he accepted his pack and walked down to the beach. The ostrich-horse gave a squawk and turned around, dragging the bouncing coach behind it. Kizu made his way down to a small pile of drift wood and made sure the coachman was out of sight before he bent it into a sea worthy vessel. He pushed it into the water and jumped aboard, splashing water onto his pack. He shook it dry and set about shifting the rudder towards the northeast. He would find someplace to hide from the assassins. He would be safe.

Zhong's armor had been shined to perfection and his boots covered over with the best green tinted, gold armor there could be found. His cape had new embroidery to it, a dragon now delicately sown onto the flowing fabric. He marched through the lines of men with a new swagger that his men had not seen in the past weeks. He had fallen into the deepest depression and had now emerged a shining star. He took his podium in front of his new recruits.

"Soldiers. Comrades-in-arms. I salute you. But I also commend you for your selfless duty to the pursuit of peace. I do not wish to give you a false sense of security. These kids are monsters, against all that you have heard said. They are powerful and vicious. Do not give them a chance. Do not give them any hint that you may back down. I want you to kill them at the first chance you get. I want you to use as much force as to cause them to go crying home to their mothers. I want this world to be pure of all the freaks like them. I want this world to be pure! I want these demi-gods to know their place! I want a new world to come out of this chaos. If you even have the smallest doubt about whether you can follow my commands, I suggest you leave now, because I will not hesitate to cut you down if you get in my way.

The Master has filled your heads with the idea that we are merely here to trap them, make sure they cannot do any more damage while they work out how to use this power. I say no. We attack head on. I demand justice. I demand the end of these benders. I demand safety for the young women and children that sleep in their beds at night. I stand on the lines to protect them from monsters like them! Walk out now if you cannot stand on that line with me! This is war and these are enemy. Tomorrow, we attack and leave such a scar upon this world that no one shall ever bend or question my power again!"

A large shout came up from the 20,000 troops that stood at attention in the hall. Zhong lifted his arms in his delusions of ultimate power. His men turned to each other.

Zhong was back.

Zhong strode proudly down the aisle, new recruits saluting him and his aides were busy around him. "Apparently the kids were still flying westward when we left them. They may be near the border of the continent by now."

"Sir, there was a weird current reported near the eastern coast. It was said to be heading eastwards towards the island there. The girl was also sighted near the area by some fishermen."

"We have caught Oma's coachman in a trap someway off. He said he dropped Kizu near the shore. He will be heading east as well."

Zhong reached the large map that took up the large wall of the complex. It was a 3-d map, mountains sticking right up out of the page. Zhong pulled a lever and the map began to curl. It made a large grinding noise and rolled onto the floor beneath his feet. Zhong jumped over the edge and began to pace around the eastern coast. He stopped over a large island with mountains engulfing most of it.

"There is where they will meet." Zhong said as he pointed to it. He withdrew his sword and began to map out where Mizu's current would head. The bison would surely want to rest there after his long flight. And Kizu would be stupid to even miss it. "There on the eastern islands."

"We will ready the ships for departure." His aides said as they scurried away, scribbling fiercely on their pads.

"One last thing before we leave though." Zhong said.

"What is that, General?"

The metal door opened with an ominous creak. The prison wailed with pain as the men screamed for release from their torment. The door to Tirji's cell closed with a loud thunk.

"Hello, Tirji." Zhong said quietly. He slipped of his gloves and gave a large smile. "Miss me?"


	19. AUTUMN TWILIGHT, PART 1

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 19:**_

_**AUTUMN TWILIGHT, PART 1**_

It was a long time before Zhong exited Tirji's cell. He was slipping the gloves onto his hands as he whistled a chilling tune to himself. His attendants followed him, not daring to say a word to Zhong. "Tirji was very cooperative." Zhong said as they exited the prison. "He told me a lot actually."

"Like what, general?" one of the soldiers asked carefully.

"He told me where Kizu went after he fled. He was indeed in Gang Hi. According to our little assassins, Kizu has taken flight again but, alas, Tirji know no one beyond Gang Hi. But we don't need to know that. All I needed to know was Kzu's weakness. His flaw."

"And what is that, sir?" the soldier asked again.

"You'll find out soon enough." Zhong hissed over his shoulder.

* * *

Alpha rolled over on his back with pleasure as they landed on the mountain. Aer patted his belly as Alpha's tongue slipped out of his wet mouth.

"That's okay. You can rest." Aer said as she heaved the food sack off to the side of their small campsite. Kan was forming some tents of earth for them as Long-hin set about collecting rocks to put around the fire.

"Feels just like old times." Bakiko said as he and Ran-Fo were employed by Jip to help her build a new garden for them.

"Yep, it sure does." Jip said happily as she began to realize it was true. It was a different mountain but it still had the feeling of home to her. They hopped down some rocks and began to tear at the hard earth for some fertile soil somewhere.

Aer slowly crept up to Long-hin. "You're doing a good job." Aer said as she noted how he had placed two rows of rocks in a circle around here the fire would be.

"Yeah, I try." He responded.

"Long-hin, listen. I…"

"Don't talk." Long-hin cut her off. "I know you like Kan more than me now. Just let me be." He finished his rock pit and turned to retreat into his tent. Kan walked over to Aer's side.

"Just give him some time to let it really set in." Kan said as he attempted to put his arm around her. She brushed it off and walked away. "Oh please. He's had three years to know you were mine."

"But he was only there for me." Aer remarked as she walked into her tent and threw the blanket closed behind her.

* * *

Mizu fell onto the hard earth as her swift flight came to an end. She made sure her pack was still secured to her back before she looked at her new, misty surroundings. "Where am I?" Mizu asked as she began to have flashbacks to the weird creature that had attacked her on the shipwreck. She proceeded cautiously into the fog, large shapes rising high into the sky.

She found the incline becoming steeper as she saw small trees begin to curve towards the sky. She used them as a sort of ladder up. She heaved herself onto a ledge and stopped to take some well deserved breaths. "How much higher does this thing go?" Mizu asked as she stared up the rock wall that seemed to continue forever. "I think I'll stay here for the night. I don't think anything can get me from up here." Mizu laid out her mat and opened up the last food ration she had. She conjured a fire and placed her small pot she had also taken from the ship over it.

She wrapped her parka around her, thought the night was not as cold as it had been. She must be close to the equator. She sat back and waited for the food to be ready. The stars looked much larger tonight for some reason. As the smoke from her fire rose higher into the air, Mizu's thoughts began to roam on what had happened to her parents. There one day and gone another. What had happened to her parents and why did she end up at the North Pole, drifting in on an iceberg?

* * *

Kizu's raft knocked into the shore, jostling him awake. Kizu sat up and looked around. It was extremely misty and rocky. Kizu got off and slipped, causing the raft to be jostled back into the ocean. "There goes the ride home." Kizu sighed to himself. He turned back to the misty island and began to walk forward. It was too steep for hi to climb. He tried once and fell flat on his back. He then bent energy behind him to propel himself skyward. He landed near a small group of trees and decided to make camp.

"It's better then nothing." Kizu said to himself as he began to set his things down. It was then that a dark figure launched itself down upon him. "What? Not you again!" Kizu shouted as he tried to back up. He threw a few fire balls at the things and then bent the trees into a small barricade. The figure put out the fires and then lifted a hand. It made a motion to crush the trees, but a large column of water sprouted up.

The figure threw it aside and jumped at the barricade. He did a spinning kick, causing the trees to bend into a small knot as a large whip of fire cut through them. Kizu had ducked aside and was now watching the figure carefully. It was wearing large swatches of fabric over its lanky body and had a small tuft of dark hair on his head. He turned around and scanned the area. The man quickly turned to where Kizu hid and made a pulling motion. The earth beneath Kizu's feet gave and Kizu was pulled towards the tall figure.

Kizu gave a lurch and threw a punch. The figure ducked as a large fire ball whizzed at his head. "Who are you?" Kizu asked as he backed up, summoning some of the burning branches to form solid gloves on his hands. The flames were quickly extinguished.

Long-hin spun on his heel and slammed the ground, causing a large outcrop of rock to surround Kizu, preventing him from leaving. Kizu smashed through them with his tree gloves and bent a wave of water from the air to smash into Long-hin. Long-hin made a ball of air under him and took into the air to avoid the wet barrage. He did a motion and Kizu was also lifted into the air. Long-hin then sped in the air and caught Kizu in the chest with a tornado punch. Kizu slammed into the side of the cliff and slid to the ground. He lay unconscious as Long-hin flew to his side and grabbed him.

* * *

It was morning when Kan noticed a large plume of smoke rising into the sky. "Did we start another fire?" Kan asked.

"I don't think we did." Jip said as she walked over to the edge. She could see a small light far beneath them. "Who camped down there?"

"No one from our gang." Kan said as he leapt down the rock ledges to where Mizu was waking up. She had a pot over the fire with her food in it for breakfast. A couple of screeching birds were sitting around the lip of the pot. Kan made a large gust of wind to blow them over. They screeched, of course, and took flight. Mizu woke up faster and saw Kan perched on a pointed rock some feet from the base of her camp.

"Who are you?" Mizu asked, not quite used to seeing other people this high in the mountains.

"I should be asking you that question." Kan said as he glanced the sixteen year old girl over. "We don't allow people to trespass in our homeland."

"You live here?" Mizu asked as she looked up to the top of the mountain, which could be made out now that the mist had subsided. "I did not know. I don't know any where except of r the North Pole."

"And why would you be so far down, I ask." Kan said as he jumped onto her pot, causing it to spill off of the fire.

"I was trying to run away. I'm sorry, I'll leave." Mizu grabbed her mat and tried to walk to the edge of the space but a wall of earth rose up to cut her off.

"You're not leaving now that you know we're here."

"Let me go. I will tell no one." Mizu pleaded.

"No." Kan made to grab her but Mizu conjured a wall of air between them. Kan fell backwards from the force and looked up. Mizu used the fire to make a ring around herself, forming a kind of protection.

"You're a bender?" Kan said amazed.

"I suggest _you_ leave." Mizu spat. "I've already fought that general and I can fight you too."

"The general? He's after you too?" Kan got up ad pulled away her ring of fire. "He has been after us too."

"I wondered where he went." Mizu said as she bent down slowly to retrieve her pack. "He stopped following me about three weeks ago."

"You haven't even seen his navy?"

"Well…I did see a ship of his. But it was wrecked and no one on board survived the crash." Mizu said quickly. She did not want the memories of what happened on the wreck to haunt her. "Where have you seen him?"

"Well, he attacked us at our other mountain home and forced us to flee."

"_Us_?" Mizu asked as she took a step forward. "You are not alone?"

"No. There are six of us at the top of the mountain." Kan said casually.

"There are!" Mizu was delighted by the mere fact that there were other kids that she could talk to at last. "Will you take me to them?"

"I…guess." Kan said slowly. He grabbed Mizu around the middle and thrust them up on a plume of fire. Jip moved back as Kan returned to their mountain top home with another member to add.

"Who is she?" Jip asked as she stared at Mizu, who was elated to see another girl.

"I am Mizu. And who are you?" Mizu said as she bent down to Jip's level, which was only slightly shorter than hers.

"I'm Jip." Jip said as she stuck out a hand to shake Mizu's.

"That's nice." Mizu said as she gave a smile and shook her hand back. Aer was stunned to see Kan's arm around the new girl's hips.

"Oh, it is?" Aer snapped. She shot a look at Kan and motioned to his hand. Kan looked down but did not race to remove his hand from Mizu's hips.

"And who are you?" Mizu said as she ran over to someone her own height this time.

"Aer. I'm his…never mind." Aer shook Mizu's hand and retreated back to the camp. There was a lour rustling sound to the east and Long-hin appeared, dragging something behind him.

"I found a little sneak last night." Long-hin said as he proudly placed a foot over the blinded and gagged person. "Don't worry. He didn't put up too much of a fight."

"Long-hin, let the poor kid up." Aer said as she bent down and pushed his foot off Kizu's body. She sat him up and blew a gust of wind to wipe off some of the dirt and pebbles on his clothes. She undid the gag and took off the blindfold.

Kizu gave a small cough as he regained the ability to breathe properly. "Where am I?" Kizu asked as he stared wildly around himself.

"You're home." Long-hin joked as he bent down over Kizu's shoulder.

"Oh, is he new?" Mizu asked Kan, clearly new to the prospect of prisoners.

"Well, we don't know him so that means yes." Long-hin said as he stood up. "And who is this beauty?"

"Excuse me?" Mizu ands Aer said simultaneously. Long-hin gave a sly look to Aer.

"I asked, who is this delightful young lady?" Long-hin rolled over on a small patch of earth and began to kiss Mizu's hand. She quickly withdrew and slapped him across the face.

"I know I'm new, but I'm not going to be taken advantage of." Mizu exerted herself. " I would like it very much if you gave me some space and grabby here would please remove his hands." Long-hin backed up and Kan removed his hands and walked away.

"Finally. A girl who isn't desperate." Aer said to herself as she helped Kizu to his feet.

"What does desperate mean?" Jip asked.

"Nothing."

"Who are you people anyway? Mountain men?" Kizu asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"Clearly we are not mountain men. There are women here." Long-hin joked. "No, we are…nomads so to speak. We just go from place to place."

"We started off on another mountain someway south of here." Aer told Kizu. "Who are you?"

"I'm Kizu. I'm friends with the governor's daughter Oma." He said the last part with the utmost faith it would carry some significant weight.

No one even blinked when he said it. "Who?" Bakiko asked.

"Never mind." Kizu said as he failed to find common ground with them. "I'm just a farm boy. Some assassins pushed me away from home and I've not even hear a word from home in about two months."

"I don't think any of us have heard from home in, what, three years." Aer said as she handed Kizu a blanket.

"Three years!" Mizu exclaimed. "My, what have you been doing for three years?"

"Living in mountains." Kan finished as he walked away from the small meet and greet to be alone.

* * *

Zhong's ships were fast approaching the island. They would be there before the day was out. Zhong stood at the bow with his telescope out, scanning the mountains ahead for any activity. The Captain approached him, almost confidently. "Sir, I don't mean to be intrusive, but what are you…"

Zhong turned to him and made a motion to attack the man. It was awkward in that he instead of raising his arm had instead did a weird sort of thrust. The man back up as Zhong clenched it into a shaking fist and let it fall to his side.

"Are our special guests comfortable?" Zhong asked as he turned back around.

"Um…I don't know." The Captain gave a shuddering look at the cargo doors and gulped. "I'll go double check on them. But how do you plan to…trap them?"

"Who said we would trap them?" Zhong closed his telescope with a clank and gave a loud laugh to the sky. He tightened his gloves and gave a whistle. "We attack at twilight!"

There was a roar of approval and the men began to ready bridles and whips around the cargo hold as men approached tentatively with large hooks to undo the latches. A horrible screeching was heard as Zhong stared off at the mountains, the sun already making its final autumn sunset.

* * *

"So, what do you do up here?" Mizu asked as they sat around the fire in the early sunset. Aer handed her a bowl of vegetable mush. Kizu made a small gagging sound as he looked down at the weird goop.

"What? No meat?" Kizu asked.

"No. I'm a vegetarian." Aer stated with a small hint of disdain. "It's part of being an Airbender."

"What's that?" Kizu asked.

"A special form of bending." Jip said as she came to Aer's defense.

"A specific form of bending." Aer finished.

"Well, why not just use the other forms?" Mizu asked. "It certainly comes in handy, more so than one form of this bending."

"That's what I tried to tell her." Kan said. Aer huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Fine." Aer said she got up and walked away to the garden. She paced back and forth, wearing a rut into the soil.

"I understand." Long-hin said in a whisper. Aer spun around to see him sitting on a small step in the garden.

"Please, Long-hin." Aer said as she threw her hand up and a small whisp of air blocked her from him.

"Why?" Long-hin asked as he stood up. "I have never advanced on you this whole time. I sat there in the silence, hiding behind lame jokes, trying to get you to love me. I thought you would come back to me. But…if you need the constant displays that Kan only displays when he feels like it, I can do it."

"Long-hin…I don't need this right now." Aer pleaded. She turned around, her back turned to him. Long-hin walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He nuzzled into her sily hair and sighed.

"I love you, Aer." Long-hin said softly. Aer lowered her head.

"Long-hin, I…" A loud screech was heard as rockets whizzed into the air, setting off large displays of color. Alpha gave a loud groan and flew over the edge, over Long-hin and Aer.

"What's going on?" Aer asked as she ripped out of Long-hin's arms and ran back to camp. She saw a horrid head come over the top of the mountain. It had four red eyes and a large ugly snout. It was furry and had four legs.

A canyon crawler.

It screeched and reared up as Kan and Bakiko tried to jump into action. A spear made quick work of them, knocking them down to the ground.

"There's more!" Jip screamed as she looked over the side of the mountain. Indeed, there were. The entire army was scaling the side of the mountain, aiming rockets and arrows at the kids.

Large nets suddenly stretched across the sky and pinned Ran-Fo and Jip to the ground, tangled in the sticky substance laid over them. Mizu knocked the Canyon Crawler and its rider off the mountain peak. It did a flip in the air and caught the mountain with one of its ugly claws. It shook its head and began to scale the mountain yet again.

Another canyon crawler reached the peak, along with four others. Mizu dodged a bomb and retaliated with a quick rock punch. Kan flaming kicked another off his mount and Kizu hid behind a rock shield as arrows pelted him. Aer saw an arrow take aim at Jip, who was squirming in the net.

"Get away from her!" Aer screamed as she launched herself at the assailant. She caught him in the chest and they tumbled off the mountain, into the small basin of trees and rocks between mountains. The sides were jagged and trees curved towards the sky.

Aer shook her head and looked up as the man drew his sword.

"We finally meet, at the end." Zhong said as he straightened up and aimed his blade between Aer's eyes.

Aer blasted him back with airbending and hopped up. She began jumping up the rocky wall with airbending propelling her. An arrow clipped her leg and she tumbled to the ground, creating an air pocket for her to bounce off of. Zhong made a swipe at her, but she dodged it easily. She did a spinning kick on the ground and Zhong was lifted into the air. He dropped a bomb above her and Aer bent it away with a concentrated blast. Zhong reached the ground and threw a dart at her. Aer gave a huge breath and threw her arms out. A large gust of wind swept into the basin and threw the dart back. It shaved off one of Zhong's gloves and cut through Zhong's cape. Zhong braced himself and slid backwards a few feet.

He whipped off his other glove as Kan and Long-hin appeared at the top of the mountain. Canyon crawlers streamed past the sides of the basin, ignoring the fight happening below. Aer gave a gasp as she looked at Zhong's hands.

They were red and puffed at the joints and cut clean to the bone. Zhong gave his scar a long deserved scratch and laughed his same chilling laugh.

Aer prepped for battle. "Don't worry. This won't be much of a fight. The gloves are off now." Zhong laughed and ran at Aer. She stopped half-way and gave a large scream. He thrust his arms out and Aer spiraled back into the mountain wall, falling to the ground unconscious as the fire and water became still once again.

"Aer!" Long-hin shouted. Kan was the first to leap into the basin, but Aer's safety was not the first thing on his mind.

**Zhong was a bender. **


	20. AUTUMN TWILIGHT, PART 2

_**Book 1: AIR**_

_**CHAPTER 20:**_

_**AUTUMN TWILIGHT, PART 2**_

Kan was down the basin before anyone could blink. He sent a wave of water through the air to Zhong, but he masterfully pushed it aside and gave his own cold smile. "Not much for someone who's apparently been the longest one with this ability." Zhong mocked as he ducked and did a quick thrust. A wave of earth rose up and Kan had to jump out of the way to avoid it. "Come on! I thought you wanted to fight."

Kan pushed the earth out behind him and he rocketed through the air towards Zhong. He flipped in the air and a spiral of fire shot out. Zhong grabbed the flame in his hands and twirled it over his head. He caught Kan on the ankle and whipped him into a tree. The tree began to bend and Kan used it as a catapult to throw himself at Zhong once more. He held out his hand and the bark on the tree wrenched itself off. It flew at Zhong who grabbed his sword and cut clean through them. He did a large kick and then a thrust of both his arms. A shield of water rose up as an air blast sent Kan back into the same tree. Kan fell to the ground this time.

Long-hin had grabbed Aer and was now on his way up the side of the mountain. A canyon crawler caught him in the corner of its fourth eye and lashed out at him. He did a flip and knocked the creature further down the mountain. He reached the top and laid her down on a mat. "Get me some water." Long-hin shouted to Bakiko as he ran to the water sack.

"Do you always get into this kind of trouble?" Mizu asked as she sent a large rock tumbling onto two of the canyon crawlers.

"No, not always." Bakiko shot as he ran to Long-hin with the water sack. Fire was now shouting out of the basin as Kan and Zhong continued their fight below. Long-hin poured it over Aer's face as she sputtered back to consciousness.

"It's him." Aer murmured as she tried to sit up. Long-hin forced her back down.

"No. You stay here." He said to her. "We'll handle the soldiers."

"No. I'm an airbender. I can fight." Aer sat up and tried to push Long-hin off of her.

"I'm sure you can, but not now." Long-hin said as he once again attempted to set her back down on her mat. Another rocket lit off in the air and almost hit Long-hin in the back if Bakiko had not grabbed it with airbending and sent if back over the cliff. It exploded and they felt a quake as the mountain shook with the explosion.

* * *

Kan dodged a boulder and then bent a fire shield around himself to protect him from another large boulder aimed for him. It blasted to bits. Kan let the shield down and quickly dodged as Zhong caught the pieces of earth with his bending abilities and shot them back at Kan.

Kan ducked behind a rock and conjured water from a small pool of water to slink its way towards Zhong. It caught him in the chest and hoisted him up. Zhong cut free with a fire blade and jumped on top of the rock Kan was hiding behind. Kan thrust the rock into the air and Zhong did a small flip backwards. He sent a large tree careening at Kan which Kan dodged and then tore the bark off of. He used it as armor as Zhong began attacking him with a water whip.

"He needs help." Kizu said as he looked down at the fight progressing.

"Why don't you help him?" Bakiko asked as he tossed another canyon crawler off the mountain courtesy of earthbending. An arrow barrage began to descend upon them as seven canyon crawlers and riders force their way through Mizu's defenses onto the mountain. Mizu put an earth shield around the group, giving them time to think.

"We have to get a plan made now." Long-hin said as he helped Aer to her feet for an escape.

"Whatever happened to that bison you guys had?" Mizu asked. "We could use him."

"Most likely we _are_ using him." Jip said as Bakiko finished cutting them loose from the sticky net. "He flew of to fight below for us. He's probably defending the mountain's base from getting any more canyon crawlers up here."

"Well, he isn't doing a very good job." Kizu said as the shield was rocked by a simultaneous barrage of rockets and bombs. Mizu fixed a hole in the shield.

"We're running out of time." Mizu pointed out. "Make a plan and let's go!" Long-hin set about trying to formulate something in his mind. It was then that they heard something happen outside. The soldiers were shouting and you could hear men shifting to the sides.

"Come out, you!" a commander said. "If you refuse to surrender yourselves, we will be forced to take lethal action upon him."

"Upon who?" Bakiko shouted through the shield.

"Not going to answer?" the commander said. He gave a humph and some whispers could be heard.

"He can't hear us." Kizu said.

"But we can hear him!" Bakiko shouted.

"I'll do it." Aer said as she left long-hin's side and conjured what looked like a small ripple of wind in the palm of her hand. She held it up to her mouth and soundbended her voice outside of the shield.

"Who is it that you are threatening to eliminate?" Aer asked in a voice that seemed to echo inside of the protective zone.

"Why an answer." The commander said excitedly. "We were just testing. Unless, one of you actually cares about Tirji."

Kizu's eyes lit up. "That's my brother!" he shouted. "Put the shield down, they've got my brother!" Kizu made to bring the shield down but Aer put a hand to his shoulder.

"No, he isn't." Aer said solemnly. "They're testing us again. They're trying to get us to come out. He isn't with them."

"But they just said…" Kizu began.

"How can you be sure?" Mizu asked as she cut Kizu off.

"I can hear voices outside of the shield and they are all whispering about how we bought it." Aer answered. "They are laughing at the joke. He isn't really out there."

Kizu's head fell. The shield was rocked again, clearly indicating that the commander now knew the joke was up. Aer let the ripple of air die in her hand and she paced around the shield, stopping every so often. They all watched her as the rockets boomed and creatures shrieked. Then they heard a magnificent fire blast go off somewhere and a hush fall over the crowd. It began slowly but then began to grow.

They were cheering.

Something had happened to Kan.

* * *

Kan dove through the air with an air blast and hit Zhong in the chest, sending him backwards into the wall. He closed Zhongs hands in with earthbending and made to give the final blow. Zhong kicked him off with his foot and threw a dart at Kan. Kan deflected it with an air shield and Zhong freed himself in a blast of fire. "Aren't you tired of this same old game? All we do is go back and forth trying to knock the other one down but it never works."

"Then maybe you had better give up." Kan said as he prepared for another fight. A soldier or two had taken their eyes off the earth shield to watch the action below.

"Oh, boy. This is going to be one lesson you learn the hard way!" Zhong chuckled. He made a loud shout and jumped. He landed and spun around, thrusting his arms out at the end. Dirt blew into Kan's eyes, blinding him. Zhong chuckled as he leapt at Kan and delivered a fire blast to Kan's face.

The sound rattled through the air and the soldiers became deathly quiet as all turned to see the fight come to a firry conclusion. Kan's scream lit up the cold twilight as he fell backwards, a lone piece of airbending keeping the flame from killing him.

Kan hit the ground and fell onto his face. He got up slowly and then fell back down.

His entire right hand side was now permanently scarred red from the blast.

Zhong gave a triumphant laugh along with his men as he drew out his sword and made to finish the job.

"I have to save him." Long-hin said as the shield lowered. No men were even attempting to attack them now.

"Long-hin don't be some brave…" Aer began. Before she could finish Long-hin had turned around and embraced her in a passionate kiss.

The world faded as Aer let her defenses go away and Long-hin let a single tear fall. They fell out of the beautiful moment and Long-hin noticed Aer was crying now as well.

"Long-hin…" Aer began softly. She reached up and touched his face. "I'm sor…"

"In case you never got the memo," Long-hin said softly. "I love you." Long-hin kissed her on the forehead and leapt down into the basin. The soldier's cries of victory quickly turned into shouts of anger as another opponent entered the ring.

"They've got Alpha!" Jip screamed as she and Ran-fo were staring over the cliff side. Jip had used airbending to move the mist away and see below. Alpha was indeed enclosed in a large net and being pushed and tugged onto a ferry of sorts. Aer rounded on the soldiers.

"You hurt my friend and then you take my pet!" Aer screamed at the men. "It's time you saw how dangerous the wind can be!" The wind increased on the mountain top as Aer threw her hands up. The armor went flying off into the wind and clothes began to flap in the strong current, some flying clean off. Aer sent a spiral of air around the mountain top, causing the men to fall on their backs. The gang was left unharmed, kept safe behind a shield of air.

* * *

Long-hin reached into his quiver and took out three arrows. He shot each one at Zhong with an air blast. They lit on fire halfway through the air and almost hit their target. Zhong had evaded them and chuckled. "You want the same fate as your friend?" Zhong said confidently. "Then be my guest."

Zhong attempted the same trick as before with the dust but Long-hin was prepared. He put an air shield in front of him and knocked Zhong to the ground with a kick. Zhong growled and shot a piece of earth at Long-hin. He jumped away and cut a slice of water at Zhong. It cut Zhong's cape off and destroyed his helmet but the man himself was still intact. Long-hin dodged a blast of water and jumped into the air. He bent himself higher with airbending and the tree bark rose into the air with him. He set them on fire and jumped over Zhong. The flaming bark shot down at him, one hitting him in the chest. Zhong threw off her chest plate and arm cuffs, leaving him with nothing but his shin guards and under armor.

"This seems like a fair fight now." Long-hin said as his swatches of fabric blew in the breeze.

* * *

Aer lifted the group into the air and threw them off the cliff. She jumped down after them, bending a ball of air around herself to keep her in flight. She grabbed the soldiers and tossed them into the sides of the mountain and them blasted the canyon crawlers into the sea. She made a large gust of air sweep over the sea, over turning the boats that held reserve troops and arms. She flew back to the top of the mountain and looked down on the men struggling to survive in the water.

She had to look on painfully though as the ferry with her bison crossed ever further to the horizon. She lowered the air shield on her friends and sighed. She threw her arms down and did a sweeping motion. She knocked all remaining men off the mountain as a ring of air shot down at them. "They deserve whatever fate befalls them." Aer said slowly. "But let it be known that I left it up to fate to decide their fates."

No one even dared to open their mouths against her.

* * *

Long-hin dodged the earth wall and sent another earth wall back at Zhong. :Don't you have anything original?" Zhong mocked.

"You have no idea." Long-hin replied. He summoned up all his breath and did a spinning jump into the air. Thre trees shot at Zhong as a ring of fire and earth also flew at him. Zhong made a hole in the earth and jumped in. He rose a second later and threw a blast of both earth and fire at the same time at Long-hin. Long-hin also sent a beam of water and air at Zhong with each hand.

They collided in the middle and began to mix. The basin lit up with purple light as the energies blended.

Air met Earth.

Fire met Water.

They sustained themselves in those beams for a while. Then the elements faded, falling limp onto the ground as the pure energy within them remained. It was now a singular purple beam and each opponent fighting to control it. Long-hin began to slowly move forward as Zhong grunted.

"You're just a weak kid! You cannot beat me! Im Genearl Zhong, Head of the Global Army!" Long-hin was a few steps from Zhong when he tossed his hands to the side, breaking the beam of energy. He thrust his right hand onto Zhong's forhead and his left hand onto his chest.

Long-hin's eyes turned a solid yellow and his mouth did too. Beams shot out of them, filling the air with a golden light.

Zhong's eyes and mouth glowed a solid green. The beams that erupted from him mixed with Long-hin's in the air. Slowly, their souls began to reveal themselves. Long-hin's yellow soul was the brighter of the two while Zhong's was a very dull green. The earth shook as the souls then proceeded to mix. Long-hin's soul began to overpower Zhong's.

The gang stood on top of the mountain looking down on the scene. Kizu had fetched Kan up during the whole purple energy beam thing and had laid him on the mountain top. Kan began to stir as the sun finally set on autumn.

Long-hin's soul had now almost completely enveloped Zhong's soul. A weird sort of sound could be heard in the air. It sounded like a cross between a hiss and a chime. Then, Zhong's energy began to creep back. Their souls were now back the where they had started with little motion between either.

There was a crack and the light disappeared quickly. A small spark could be seen go off between the two and then an explosion of light set forth from between them.

The kids reeled back as the earth shook again and the light was taken up into the sky.

The basin was quiet for a moment before something stirred below. The kids looked over with bated breath, waiting to see who would emerge.

* * *

_The messenger reached the Master early the next morning._

**Zhong is dead.**

_The Maser raised a hand to his forehead as he mulled over it. "He was right then." The Master said as he got up and strolled to a window. "Those kids could not be trusted."_

The kids climbed down into the basin, hoping beyond belief that something would be stirring and prayed it would not be Zhong.

"_Put out an official notice to all cities and villages. These benders are menaces and I was a fool to think that they are mere children. They must be stopped and brought to a quick end. I want all cities fighting in this now global war. These benders will pay for killing our hero. We will see the end of the benders, once and for all!"_

Zhong lay spread eagle in the basin, his eyes staring up at the sky, blank and unmoving.

**Long-hin was gone too**.

Aer cradled his head and began to cry over his body. His eyes had no emotion in them. His soul was as incorruptible as Zhong's was. Their energies canceled each other's out and they had paid the price for bending someone else's energy.

Aer looked up at the new group, shaken from what had happened in that autumn twilight. She looked to Kan, now permanently changed from this night. She cried as she looked at him.

"What have we done?"


End file.
